Abandoned Season 2
by redpenkiller
Summary: Two years later. Everything was supposed to be fine. But deep down, nothing's changed. Kuramochi hasn't talked to Ryosuke for the past two years, Miyuki has mixed feelings about being back with Eijun, Mei seems to have been erased from the face of the Earth, and Eijun's hiding a painful secret. Will history repeat itself, or will they finally be able to live in happiness? (MPreg)
1. Chapter 1

**Kyaaaa, I'm back people! How's it going? Alright, so before I even get started, I already wrote another chapter one in July but I didn't like it because it was boring, so I decided to write another one. To be honest, this season might not be as dramatic because there's only one couple that's gonna have problems (maybe.) Anyhow, onwards!**

* * *

Chapter 1: Beginning

"H-Hey!" Furuya Satoru called after his son, Sai. But the 2 year old ignored him and ran off, grabbing onto the leg of another male. "Mommy!" he giggled.

Kominato Haruichi sighed as he bent down and scooped up the child. "Now, now, Sai. It's not safe to run off like that. You could've gotten hurt."

Sai pouted, burying his head in the pinkette's chest. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Furuya caught up to them, panting slightly. "He has so much energy," he said. _'Reminds me so much of Kazuya… but now I have Haruichi. I'm fine. I'm over him. I'm done.'_ He wrapped his arm around his boyfriend's shoulder and offered him a small smile. "Thank you," he whispered.

Haruichi blushed, shaking his head. "No, it's nothing. It was a good chance for me to confess my feelings, especially after the hardships you've been through. Now I have a child of my own to take care of." _'I'm finally happy.'_

* * *

"Shunpei!" Sanada Raichi shouted as he chased his husband around the house. "What did I tell you? I said I wasn't gonna be home early, so pick Raishun up!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Shunpei responded, a huge grin on his face. "I forgot, so don't kill me! I know I can be an irresponsible father sometimes!"

The former batter huffed as he dropped his bat and ran downstairs, donning his shoes. "Geez! The school called and told me that he was still there! What if he never forgives me? It'll be your fault!"

"I said I'm sorry–"

"I don't want to hear it!" Raichi sucked his teeth, grabbed his keys and dashed outside, making a beeline for the car.

Making sure that he was gone, Shunpei went to his room and opened the closet, cackling. "You can come out now."

6 year old Raishun climbed out of the closet, laughing. "Whoa! Mommy's gonna be so mad when he finds out!"

The dark haired male crouched to his son's height and ruffled his hair. "Yep. I might die today." _'But that's what he gets for lasting longer than me in bed yesterday night.'_

* * *

Isashiki Jun rolled his eyes as Yuki Tetsuya walked into the delivery room, hands in his pockets. "Hmph. Now you have the nerve to show up while I was here for two hours screaming my lungs off? Tch, the things I do to make you happy."

Tetsu shrugged innocently as he retrieved the small bundle from the latter's arms. "My apologies. Looks like a lot of hard work went into this."

"A-Are you blind?! Do you not see me sweating?! Do you not see this blood?! Look into my eyes! I'm tired! God, Tetsu, why are you doing this?"

The former captain tuned him out, staring at the peaceful baby. "Hmm, what should we name him?"

"Oi, are you even listening?!"

The nurse next to them scratched her head, sweat-dropping. "Um, Isashiki-san, you should refrain from raising your voice or else-"

Jun's eyes widened as he felt something leak between his legs. "AHHH, I'M BLEEDING!"

Tetsu fainted.

* * *

"So… how long has it been since he was hospitalized?"

"A week. I was _terrorized_. I just found him on the floor when I came back from grocery shopping."

"I see." Kuramochi Youichi leaned against the wall, folding his arms. "That idiot. He needs to stop making us worry."

Miyuki Kazuya nodded, absentmindedly helping Kazujun build his tower of blocks. "This isn't good for Kazujun's mental health. Seeing Eijun collapse right in front of him must've scarred him. I have to feed him by force now."

"That must suck," the former shortstop remarked. "But… what if he doesn't wake up?"

"Do you want that to happen?"

"Obviously not."

"Then don't _fucking_ mention it. Damn, is that so much to ask for?"

Kuramochi rose a brow. "Hey, what's wrong with you? You're being a dick."

"HOW AM I BEING A DICK–"

Kazujun threw a block at his father's head, pouting. "No, daddy."

Miyuki sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "Sorry for cursing again. I'm just really worked up. Your mom drives me crazy. Sorry, Kuramochi."

The green haired male smirked. "Nah, it's my fault. I got angry for no reason." As soon as he was about to head out, the bespectacled man asked him a question. "Hey… have you talked to Ryo-san lately? You haven't gone home for the past _two_ years."

Kuramochi gritted his teeth, his face darkening. "Don't talk about him." With that he went out, leaving a bad vibe.

Miyuki looked at Kazujun with a confused face. They both shrugged and continued to build their tower.

* * *

No one knew where _he_ was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Discharge

* * *

 _'He… he won't make it.'_

 _'It's too late.'_

 _'We can't save him.'_

 _'We're sorry for your loss, Miyuki-san.'_

"N-No… I can't… I can't…"

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The nurses in the room frantically ran to a certain bed, checking the screens and plugs. "What's happening to him?"

"The beeping is out of control!"

"He's trembling like mad! Is he having a seizure?"

"No; he's probably having a nightmare. Should we wake him up? This looks kind of dangerous."

"Let him wake up by himself."

The patient tossed and turned violently, rattling the bed beneath him. "I don't… I can't…"

 _'He won't make it.'_

"N-No…"

 _'It's too late.'_

"I… I…"

 _'We can't save him.'_

"I won't l-leave…"

 _'We're sorry for your loss, Miyuki-san.'_

"I DON'T WANT TO!" The patient's eyes flashed open as he woke up from his nightmare, panting heavily. After a few minutes of shock he settled down, absorbing his surroundings. "What? Where am I?"

A nurse sighed in relief, reading the screen for a steady pulse. "Sawamura-kun, it's about time you woke up. We were worried that you wouldn't make it in time."

Eijun bit his lip as he stared at the white ceiling, calming his trembling fingers. "I… don't remember anything…" _'What am I doing here?'_

Dr. Shimizu walked in, clapping her hands. "Alright, nurses, you did a good job watching over him. You may leave."

Once the room was empty save for the two of them, the dark haired woman stood next to Eijun and gave him a dark look. "You collapsed from exhaustion. You were in a coma for about a week."

The brunette closed his eyes. "Oh…" _'Kazuya and Kazujun must be worried sick about me…'_

"Don't 'oh' me. Sawamura, you really pushed yourself this time."

"Eh?"

"I have some terrible news."

* * *

"Waaaahh!"

Irritated, Jun ran back into the room and picked Shiki up from his crib, rocking him back and forth in his arms. "God, will this baby _ever_ shut the _hell_ up?! I'm trying to go to sleep!"

Tetsu shook his head, turning a page in his book. "It's all about patience, Jun. Just take your time and he'll eventually quiet down."

"Tch, you make it sound so damn easy! Why don't you do it?"

"Allow me." The former captain slid out of bed and went to his wife's side. As soon as he stared into the baby's eyes, it stopped crying, a fearful look on his face.

Jun gawked. "Whoa, that's amazing! How'd you do that?"

"Babies are scared easily."

"Oh… wait, so you're saying I'm not scary enough?! How dare you!"

Tetsu chuckled softly as Jun kicked his leg. "I'm so happy we had a child."

"Hmph. Why's that?"

"Now I'm not the only one who has to endure the pain of being cursed out everyday."

"Y-You bastard!"

"Waaaahh!"

"Damn it, Tetsu!"

* * *

 _1:38 am_

Eijun stood in front of his house, taking a deep breath. "I don't know why I feel so scared," he said to himself. "Nothing's changed. Everything should be the same." Releasing his clenched fists, he fished out his set of keys from his sweater and opened the door. Stepping past the threshold, he quietly closed the door and set down his bag. _'I guess they went to bed already,'_ he thought, removing his sweater.

Running up the stairs to his room, he playfully rolled his eyes as he saw Kazuya and Kazujun sprawled out on the floor, apparently exhausted from playing all day. "Making more work for me already," he mused. Scooping Kazujun up, he placed a kiss on his cheek and softly placed him in his crib in the next room over.

Walking to the bathroom, the brunette flicked on the lights and turned on the faucet, letting the warm water drip. _'I collapsed… I should start being more careful.'_ Fishing in his pocket, he revealed a small bottle of pills.

 _'Use these,_ ' Dr. Shimizu had instructed seriously. _'If **it** happens, consume two pills immediately. Never overdose or you might die on the spot. Do **not** let your husband see them.'_

"Eijun!"

Eijun jumped in surprise as Miyuki suddenly appeared in the doorway. He hid the pills behind his back and smiled brightly. "K-Kazuya! You scared me! I thought you were sleeping."

The bespectacled man rubbed his eyes, yawning. "Yeah, I was. But then I heard footsteps and decided to check it out. I can't believe you're here now. I've missed you so much." He pushed his wife against the wall. "Just how hard did you think it was to take care of Kazujun by myself for an entire week?"

The former pitcher laughed nervously. "Sorry, sorry. You know it wasn't my fault." _'Get away from me!'_

"Don't you _ever_ make me worry about you like that again." Miyuki wrapped his arms around Eijun's waist and trapped him in a kiss full of passion, his tongue already making its way into his mouth.

The younger male cursed internally, discouraged. _'Dammit, I can't escape! I can't afford to let Kazuya know!'_ Left with no choice, he tightly held the bottle in one hand and pulled Miyuki closer, pretending to enjoy the kiss.

After a brief make-out session, they let go, their cheeks red. "That's enough for now," Miyuki said, staring into Eijun's eyes. "You look extremely tired and weak."

The brunette sweat-dropped. "I can't believe you just realized that. What a nice husband you are."

The bespectacled man laughed, giving him a light smack on the ass. "You know it. Are you gonna take a shower?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." Miyuki ruffled Eijun's hair. "Goodnight. Love you, babe." He closed the door. _'Thank God… he's alive. I can finally sleep through the night without having to worry about him.'_

Eijun let out a deep breath as he slid to the marble floor. "Ahh, that was way too close! What if he found out? But he shouldn't know about my condition or these pills… I can never be too careful. He's smarter than I am."

 _'If **it** happens, consume two pills immediately._ '

"What did she mean by 'it'? I have so many questions, but she's gonna get mad if I ask her! Mou!" He elbowed the wall behind him in frustration. "I should hurry and go to bed." Standing, he carefully placed the bottle of pills behind some stuff in the cabinet and stripped naked, turning on the shower.

* * *

"Mommy!" Kazujun shouted happily as he saw his mother the next morning. "Hi, mommy!"

Eijun held him tight, showering him with kisses. "Hi, little man! Did you miss me?"

He had no idea what he said; he just nodded ecstatically.

"Aw, that's cute! Mommy's going to take good care of you from now on, so don't cry anymore!"

Miyuki rolled his eyes. "Talk baby language. He's not understanding you."

The brunette whipped his head around, grilling him. "Shh, Kazuya! I'm teaching him at an early age!"

"That's not how it works, baka. It'll just make him even more confused."

The younger male pouted as he seated Kazujun in his high chair and placed a sliced up omelet in front of him. Before he could start feeding him, Kazujun picked up the fork by himself, brutally stabbed a slice and shoved it in his mouth.

Miyuki's coffee spilled from his mouth. "I call bullshit! Ever since you got hospitalized, I had to feed him by force! Now that you're here, he wants to act all innocent and feed himself?! Come on!"

Eijun snickered, admiring Kazujun's growth. "Haha! I'm a better parent than you!"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing." Suddenly, Eijun felt his stomach compress and he keeled over, squeezing his eyes shut. "Mhm!"

The former catcher ran over to him, alarmed. "Babe! Are you okay?!"

"No… my stomach _really_ hurts…"

"Because you haven't eaten in a long time. Eat up."

The brunette shook his head defiantly as the pain intensified, a weird sensation pooling in his gut. "I feel like throwing up…"

Miyuki pulled him up and felt his forehead. "You're not hot or anything. Go to the bathroom–" Before he could finish his sentence, Eijun pushed him out of the way, dashed to the bathroom and slammed the door. He screamed as his stomach compressed again and he threw up.

Strangely enough, it didn't feel like vomit. There wasn't a bitter taste in his mouth; more like a burning and slightly salty taste.

 _'What… was that?'_

Slowly opening his eyes, he felt his heart drop as he stared at the floor beneath him. "No…"

Blood was everywhere.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Leave Me Alone

* * *

Miyuki knocked on the door. "Eijun, are you okay in there? You're too quiet."

Snapping out of his trance, Eijun quickly grabbed several sheets of toilet paper, wiped the bloody floor and flushed them down the toilet. "Yes!" he shouted, even though he really wasn't. He searched through the cabinet and took two white pills from the bottle. Shoving them in his mouth, he cupped some water in his hands and gulped them down, grimacing. Suddenly, he felt extremely dizzy, his vision whirling around dangerously. He grabbed onto the sink as his heart began to beat slower, each pump echoing in his ear. "What the heck… these pills… what are they? What are they doing to me?"

Miyuki rapidly knocked again. "Babe, can I come in?"

"NO! I mean… I'm fine, really. Go away." The brunette wiped his mouth as the strange effects wore off. _'Damn.'_

"What if it's something serious? I can't let it slide."

"Trust me, Kazuya." The former pitcher opened the door and hugged the bespectacled man tightly, smiling. "I'm totally fine. See how I'm smiling? Hm?"

Miyuki frowned, pulling him away. He pushed him against the wall and leaned close, his brows furrowing. "Don't start," he said darkly.

Eijun cocked his head, the intensity of his husband's eyes pressuring him. "Kazuya, what are you talking about? I'm not starting anything."

"Yes, you are. You're not trusting me."

"Who said that?"

"Please, if something's wrong, _tell_ me. I need to know. It's my job to protect you. I… I don't want to be the man I was two years ago."

The younger male sighed as the bitter memories flashed through his mind. He looked at Miyuki sincerely. "Honey… I _promise_ I'm not hiding anything from you. I love you and trust you so much. I probably threw up because I'm hungry, so can you cook for me?"

"…"

"Kazuya, don't give me that. What makes you think I'm lying?"

"Nothing." Miyuki headed downstairs, hands in his pockets. "I trust you. Now come here so I can make you seven days worth of food. I'll make sure you stuff yourself until you throw up again! Haha!"

Eijun gawked. "M-Mean! That's what Mochi-senpai said during the training camp in my first year at Seido! Wait, speaking of him, where is he?"

The former catcher put on an apron, tying it behind his back. "He's staying in the apartment I rented when all that drama happened."

"Oh… but why? What happened to Ryo-san?"

"Look, you're talking too much. Just shut up and sit down."

The brunette rolled his eyes, sitting in a chair. "Sheesh, I was just asking."

* * *

Raishun opened the door to his parents' room and jumped in between them, shaking.

Shunpei looked at him with a confused expression. "Raishun, it's only 7 am. Why are you up so early on a Saturday?"

"I-I had a nightmare!"

"Huh? Really? Ahh, that's not good for a little kid like you." He looked at the other side of the bed, Raichi laying on his side. "Mommy's still sleeping, so you can tell me."

Raishun nodded, climbing onto his lap. "M-Mommy came home late at night a-and then you and mommy st-started arguing and t-then…"

"Slow down. Take your time. What happened after that?"

"You kept on fighting and fighting and fighting and t-then you divorced and I was alone. You and mommy left me all alone! Daddy, I'm scared!"

Shunpei shook his head, pulling his child close. "Raishun, why did you dream about that? That's bad. Mommy and I will never divorce, okay? We will never leave your side until we grow old and die. Okay?"

Raishun nodded, wiping his tears on his dad's shirt. "Mhm," he mumbled. He kissed him on the cheek and ran back to his room.

Shunpei buried himself under the sheets, yawning. "I love my wife," he said to himself. "Raichi's like my other half; I'll never abandon him. No matter what happens."

Already awake from the moment Raishun had entered, Raichi smiled contently, a blush creeping onto his face. _'Mou, those words still get me~'_

* * *

"What's wrong?" Furuya asked.

Haruichi turned off his phone, sighing. "Aniki isn't picking up his phone. I don't even remember the last time we met."

"Try calling Kuramochi-senpai."

"Same thing. I wonder if they're okay… I'm really worried. Aniki's sensitive to love, to be honest. One little mistake and he'll lose his mind."

The raven-head stifled a laugh, playing with Sai's hair. "Seems like he's not as strong as we thought. He has his weaknesses." _'Good thing he doesn't know that Haruichi and I are dating. I would most likely be dead by now.'_

Suddenly, Haruichi's phone vibrated and the pinkette jumped. "It's Kuramochi-senpai!" He swiped the answer button. "Hello?"

Kuramochi sat up in his bed, running a hand through his hair. "You kept calling and calling so I decided to pick up. Wassup?"

"Um… has anything occurred between you and Aniki? He's not answering my calls–"

"God, can you people stop nagging me about him?! Leave me alone! It's not my _fucking_ fault, so why do you have to come to me?! I didn't even do anything; he stopped talking to me ever since Sawamura gave birth to Kazujun!"

"Really? Maybe it's because you're not giving him enough attention."

"Attention? Tch, Ryo-san isn't like that!"

"So you're basically telling me I don't know my own brother? Listen, I wasn't around when all of your… _drama_ happened, so I may be wrong. But all you've been doing is looking after Eijun-kun. Don't you think Aniki deserves that too? Just how long has it been since you've last spoken to each other?!"

"That's a fucking lie, Kominato. I didn't spend all my time taking care of Bakamura. It's been two years since Ryo-san and I last met."

"You mean you haven't stepped a foot in your own house?"

"Nope."

"ARE YOU _FUCKING_ CRAZY?!" Haruichi yelled, his temper officially at its limit.

Furuya covered Sai's ears. _'He's so cute when he's angry.'_

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! JUST HOW MUCH DOES ANIKI MEAN TO YOU?!"

Kuramochi sucked his teeth. "You know what, why are we even talking about this? Bye." He hung up. _'So much bullshit.'_

Haruichi restricted the urge to trash everything around him, taking deep breaths. "I'm not mad," he whispered calmly. "I'm not mad. I'm not mad."

Furuya scratched his neck. "You obviously are."

"Satoru," the pinkette said, a vein popping on his forehead. "I _do_ have a temper. A very _bad_ one. I may look all happy, sweet and peaceful… but there's a side of me you do _not_ want to see. Don't try me." He smiled and walked away.

The raven-head looked at Sai. "Remind me to close my mouth when your mom is angry, alright?"

* * *

"Dr. Shimizu, what exactly _are_ those pills?" Eijun asked, hopping onto the bed. "I think I almost died!"

Dr. Shimizu folded her arms. "How many did you take?"

"Two, like you said."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem. Did you use them today?"

The brunette clenched his fists. "Yes! I coughed up blood; a lot! What's happening to me… I don't deserve this…"

The dark haired woman set down her clipboard. "No one deserves this. Unfortunately, there isn't a cure for your condition. It's an extremely rare one. The pills are restricted in Japan, but this was the best I could do."

"R-Restricted? Doctor, you didn't have to do that! You might get arrested!"

"At least I'm doing the right thing by keeping my patient breathing. Yes, I'm guilty of breaking the law, but it's for your own good. I care about you, Sawamura-kun."

Eijun's shoulders slumped. "I feel terrible…"

Dr. Shimizu placed a hand on his shoulder, sighing. "Sawamura-kun…"

" …those pills won't keep you alive for long."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Confrontation from Hell

* * *

 _Ryosuke smiled. "I can't wait to kill you."_

Kuramochi shot up from his bed in fear, his forehead drenched in sweat. Realizing that it was just a dream, he sighed in relief and wiped his face. He uncovered his lower body and staggered to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he reminisced about the words Haruichi had told him the other day.

 _"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! JUST HOW MUCH DOES ANIKI MEAN TO YOU?!"_

The former shortstop washed his face and brushed his teeth, his heart filled with mixed emotions. _'Ryo-san means everything to me,'_ he thought, reaching for a towel. _'I can't live without him. But what I am doing now, just sitting here? I haven't seen his face in two years, nor heard his voice. I totally forgot what he sounds like now…_ '

Making his way to the living room, Kuramochi jumped back as he saw Miyuki standing in the doorway. "Whoa! How the hell did you… oh yeah, you have the keys." He sweat-dropped. "Well, what do you want?"

Miyuki smirked. "Get dressed. We're going ice skating."

* * *

Eijun pouted as he retrieved his skates from the man behind the counter. "Kazuya, you know I'm not feeling well. Why am I here?"

Miyuki shrugged innocently. "Sorry babe, but there's a plan going on."

"Plan? What are you talking about? I thought we came here with Harucchi for fun."

"Just pretend to act normal, alright?"

The brunette nodded warily as they walked back to their benched. "Mochi-senpai, why do look so down?"

Kuramochi shook his head, snapping out of his trance. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing… I just have a lot of things on my mind." _'Something's strange.'_

Haruichi frowned. _'He's going to be here any moment now._ '

Suddenly, a certain pinkette rushed in, carrying several bottles of vitamin water in his arms. "Sorry if I took too long–"

The former shortstop's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. He sharply turned his head, meeting Ryosuke's alarmed expression. "Ryo-san…"

Ryosuke dropped the bottles and ran away. "I… I have to go now."

Kuramochi glared at Haruichi. "I thought you told me he wasn't going to be here!"

Haruichi lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry."

The green haired male huffed as he quickly removed his skates, put on his sneakers and chased after his mate. Turning a corner, he reached out just in time to grab Ryosuke's wrist. "Ryo-san."

"I don't want to see your face," the older male said strictly. "What are you doing here?"

"Please, just hear me out–"

"What is there to listen to? You left me for two years… you didn't even come home. Just who do you think I am? You put other people before me, your wife. Why would I want to see you right now?"

"Ryo-san, I'm sorry. But I don't know what I did wrong. Tell me so I can fix it."

"No. Because no matter what I say, you'll never change. You and your stubborn self. I was so cold and alone in that house, all by myself. I sat on the staircase everyday, waiting to see the door open. But it never happened. Do you even _care_ about me?"

"Of course I do! You mean the world to me!"

"You liar. During those two years, just what were you doing? Taking care of Sawamura and his baby. That's all you ever focused on and you forgot about me in the meantime."

Kuramochi laughed in disbelief. "Ryo-san, Bakamura needed my help! You know he couldn't fight against Miyuki by himself so of course he needed my help! He had no one to support him until they got back together!"

"Does it look like I care?" Ryosuke pulled his arm away, biting his lip. "You don't love me anymore. Stay away from me." With that, he turned around and walked to the exit, leaving a dumbstruck Kuramochi behind.

Haruichi hid behind a pillar, his knuckles turning white. _'Aniki…'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Damn, how long has it been? I've been diagnosed with a serious case of writer's block.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Pursue

Kuramochi gritted his teeth as Ryosuke's back faced him, running out the door. The only sound keeping him occupied were Ryosuke's footsteps. He opened and closed his fists. This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't supposed to happen. Was this a prank of some sort? Was this arranged to test his loyalty or something? He was conflicted. He turned around to face Haruichi who was coming out from behind the pillar.

"Hey, Kominato? What _is_ this?"

Haruichi bit his lip. "What do you mean?"

"I asked you a simple question! Did you guys bring me here on purpose? To ruin my relationship with Ryo-san?"

"It was already ruined!" Haruichi responded. His grip on his coat tightened. "Aniki fell hard for you! All these years, ever since highschool… until you threw him away as if he were a paper bag."

"You don't even know the whole story, Kominato. You better watch it. I never abandoned Ryosuke. I was just busy taking care of a friend."

"I know I know nothing…" Haruichi struggled to keep his face straight as tears welled up in his eyes, "But doesn't it make more sense to put something you love first? Why did you have to change your priorities?! Huh?!"

Kuramochi's face contorted. He felt himself losing control. His nails dug into his fists. "What… did you just say? _Me_ , change _my_ priorities? I had no choice, goddamn it! I couldn't stand there and watch Sawamura suffer after Miyuki left him! I just couldn't! I'm not the type of person who would stand there and do nothing while having the ability to help! Sawamura needed to get back on his feet! I was the first one to him! You don't know a _single_ thing that happened, so you should mind your _damn_ business!"

Haruichi was taken aback. His bangs parted a bit, revealing a burning pink in his eyes. "Excuse me? Aniki _is_ my business. He's my brother. I trusted you to take care of him and now you're blaming _me_ for something I couldn't help? Kuramochi-senpai, I can't believe you. So I'm the one at fault here?"

"No, that's not what I said! I said you should be able to realize that I can't be with Ryosuke every single day. Like, that doesn't make sense. I needed some alone time."

"SO YOU LEAVE HIM FOR TWO YEARS?! THAT'S CALLED ALONE TIME?!" Haruichi breathed heavily, his chest rising. He was known for being sweet and kind, but getting angry was a rare event. He never found getting angry necessary. Until the last sentence his senpai uttered registered in his brain. This was insane. His throat was itchy from raising his voice, but he was unable to stop from venting his anger. "DO YOU EVEN FUCKING CARE ABOUT ANIKI? YOU PRACTICALLY WAITED FOR EIJUN-KUN'S INCIDENT TO GET AWAY FROM HIM! THANKS TO YOU HE ISN'T THE SAME ANYMORE!" Huffing in disbelief, Haruichi shoved past Kuramochi and dashed through the automatic door, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The former shortstop sank to the ground and stared at the ceiling. "What the hell is this?" he muttered to no one in particular. "What did I do wrong? I really did nothing to hurt Ryosuke that much, honestly…"

After witnessing the whole fight in secret, Eijun covered his mouth as he sobbed. _'This is all my fault… because of me… Kuramochi-senpai, Harucchi, Brother… they're all broken.'_

Miyuki stared at his wife in silence, unsure if consoling him would make a difference. _'This is partially my fault, too. If I hadn't been such an ass and abandoned Eijun… this would have never happened. It's been two years. Yet the past is still haunting us. All of us.'_

Softly taking Eijun's hand, Miyuki led them back to the rink to gather their stuff. Arriving near the entrance, the bespectacled man stopped near Kuramochi. "Do you want a ride?"

Kuramochi shook his head a minute later. "No, thank you. I need some time to think. Where would I go, anyway?"

Miyuki nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Sanada stood as the door opened. Miyuki and Eijun stepped through, causing Kazujun to wriggle about in his arms. "Mommy! Daddy!"

Miyuki forced a smile as he retrieved his son from Sanada. "Hi! How was he?"

Scratching his head, Sanada sighed. "I never thought he'd be this energetic! I tried to take a nap and he literally _stepped_ on my crotch! But it was fun, though. How was ice skating?"

Eijun took off his shoes and set them aside. "Fun," he said. "I fell so many times but Kazuya helped me along the way. _Right_?"

The former catcher sensed a piercing glare from behind. "Y-Yeah. It was amazing. Thanks for taking care of Kazujun." Fetching a fifty dollar bill from his wallet, he handed it to Sanada and the rival left, closing the door behind him.

Miyuki placed Kazujun on the couch and walked towards his wife. "Eijun."

The brunette looked up. "Mhm?"

"Forget what happened back there. Don't blame yourself. When Kuramochi notices his wrongdoing, he'll clear everything up and we'll live in peace. Alright?"

Eijun held his husband's hand, nodding. "Sure."

Miyuki pulled the latter's face close and trapped him in a kiss, combing his fingers through his hair. Eijun moaned as Miyuki's tongue slipped inside his mouth and played with his. The hot kiss continued for a few more seconds until they broke apart for air.

Behind them, Kazujun stared in disgust. "Ew!"

A vein popped on Eijun's head. "Hey! Mind your business!"

* * *

Jun growled as he walked into a department store with Tetsu. "Did I really have to come along?"

"Of course," Tetsu said, welcoming the cool air conditioning. "You gave birth to Shiki, so coming here was inevitable."

"You _do_ realize it's kind of embarrassing to see two grown men shopping for baby stuff, right?"

Tetsu looked at him. "What ever do you mean? This isn't embarrassing at all." He gulped.

A lady approached them, wearing a kind smile. "How may I help you?"

Jun struggled to say the words that were hanging at the tip of his tongue. "Wh-Where might you have d-d-diapers? Powder? Clothes? Highchairs? Toys? You know, b-b-baby stuff."

The lady smiled again. "I'll be glad to guide you around. It's so nice to see men shopping for their lady friends."

Tetsu stepped up, shaking his head. "No, it's for us. We have the child. It's our first."

The lady froze. Her smile dropped. She looked back between Jun and Tetsu. An awkward silence occurred.

"Is there something wrong?" Tetsu asked.

The lady snapped out of her trance and shook her head. "N-No, I'm just surprised! I'd never thought that you two would have… a… child…" She fell to the ground, groaning.

Jun shouted, sweat-dropping. "Ahh! Her soul is flying from her mouth! Tetsu, you idiot! Why'd you have to go and say that so effortlessly?!"

"Clean up on aisle one."

* * *

"Raichi, I'm home!" Sanada announced. He made his way to the kitchen to find his wife sitting at the table, staring at his phone intensely.

Raichi immediately tapped the home button and pressed a game app, waiting for it to load. "Hi, Shunpei," he said, grinning.

Sanada rose a brow. "What were you doing while I was gone?"

"Playing a game."

"It looks like you just started."

"It froze so I had to restart it."

Sanada stood behind him, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say." He planted a kiss on Raichi's neck.

The former batter dropped his phone on the table in shock. "What are you doing?"

Sanada stroked the latter's thigh and whispered in his ear seductively. "With Raishun at school, we'll be alone for an hour or so. You know what that means…"

Raichi felt his cheeks burn as his heart raced. "Y-You're right…"

Sanada got up and carried Raichi to the bedroom, locking the door. He climbed on top of him and removed his shirt, tossing it aside.

Raichi moaned as his husband lifted up his shirt and sucked on one of his nipples while palming his thigh. "Ah… Shunpei…"

"You're getting turned on already? So naughty." His hand moved and groped Raichi's buldge. "You're rock hard."

The latter turned his head, eyes shut. "Stop teasing me… just do it…"

An hour later, Raishun stood in front of the bedroom, his jaw hitting the ground. "They tell me to come home by myself today… and this is what I hear. Mou, they need to control themselves."

"Ah, Shunpei! Yes, yes, yes! Fuck me! Ah, so hard! Your cock is… ngh, ah!"

"Ride me, Raichi! Fuck! Ride me as hard as you can!"

Raishun backed away. "I should leave."

* * *

"Hey, it's closing time."

Kuramochi looked up from the ground, seeing a security guard. "Okay." Legs numb, he managed to get up, bow to the guard and make his way outside. A wave of heat blasted in his face, stirring him slightly. He turned a corner and crossed the street, head low. Summer was almost over, but the heat lingered in the air. Accidentally bumping into a woman, he didn't bother to say sorry and continued walking. Opening his mouth would create even more accidents.

His time sitting down at the ice skating place for four hours helped clear his mind. At least a little bit.

 _'Is Ryosuke really mad at me? Or is he just pretending? I can be an asshole, but not to the point where he completely gives up on me. He's really important to me and I'll protect him with my life. Ryosuke isn't weak. He wouldn't crumble over nothing like this. But Kominato does know more about him than I do. They're brothers. Is Ryosuke actually sensitive behind that tough and scary act? I don't even know what to think anymore. But I'll do what I have to do.'_

After thirty minutes of walking, he sighed heavily as he stood in front of a familiar house. A very familiar one. The lights were off.

Step by step Kuramochi got closer and closer to the door. Pulling out a set of keys he slowly pushed it in. He heard a click.

 _'He didn't change the lock…'_

Twisting the knob, the door creaked open. A blast of cool air hit him.

Sighing again, Kuramochi stepped inside and shut the door.

"Ryo—"

 _BANG!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Who should I make suffer this time? What a fine evening to be evil, ain't it?**

* * *

Chapter 6: Sense

 _"Calling me out during class, huh? This better be important," Ryosuke said._

 _Kuramochi, cheeks red, stepped closer and took a deep breath. "Let's go out."_

 _The pinkette smirked, hiding the fact that his heart had just skipped a beat. "What was that? Try again, but with a little more oomph."_

 _Kuramochi grew scarlet, his eyes unable to focus on his target. "C-C-Can we go out? I r-r-r-really like you a-a-and even though most people s-s-say you're mean, I don't t-t-think that's true."_

 _Ryosuke chuckled as he walked up to his kohai. "That was better. I'll say yes, considering the fact that you're a bit… special." He tapped his kohai on the chest with the back of his hand, smiling. "Don't disappoint me, **Youichi**."_

* * *

Kuramochi didn't know what to expect once the door to his house creaked open. Stepping inside he was attacked by the cold air. It was bitter cold. Nothing that an air conditioner could produce. His teeth chattering, he set his keys down on the coffee table nearby and shut the door behind him.

"Ryo—"

 _BANG!_

His heart jumped as he heard an object shatter against the wall next to him. In the darkness, he managed to make out the broken pieces on the ground.

 _'Glass?'_ he thought, puzzled.

Outside, a harsh breeze passed, causing the curtains to move and let moonlight inside. Within that moment Kuramochi saw Ryosuke descending the staircase, his body wobbling as he took each step. _'What's wrong with him?'_

The former shortstop's eyebrows rose as Ryosuke staggered toward him, his cheeks flush and mouth hanging open. He fell to the ground and clung onto the latter's leg, moaning. "More," he drawled. His speech was slurred, his head bobbing back and forth. "More… I need more… goddamn it… the empshy bottles won't do… more…"

"H-Hey, get off!" Kuramochi shouted, attempting to pry Ryosuke's arms off his calf. "Oi! Ryosuke! What on Earth is wrong with you? Are you drunk or… no way…"

The green haired male turned on the lights.

His eyes dilated.

The entire floor was covered with wine and alcohol bottles, some shattered, some whole but empty. It came to his attention that the house reeked of alcohol and puke.

Tables and chairs were overturned, the sofa was laying on its side, the walls had fist-sized dents. Everything was wrecked.

Kuramochi sank to the ground, his eyes dull. _'This is all my fault? I made Ryosuke like this? A freak? An alcoholic? No, this can't be… there must be some other reason. It's just impossible. I… I… I'm the cause of this? How come no one told me? What did I do? What the heck did I do to deserve this? I take care of a friend in dire need and my wife… my wife ends up like this monster that went berserk. No, I refuse to believe this shit. This isn't entirely my fault. Something else happened, right? This can't be my fault. It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It can't be my fucking fault.'_ A tear full of pain and doubt trickled down his cheek, dripping onto Ryosuke's hair.

Kuramochi forcefully ripped free from the pink haired male's hold and held him up bridal style. _'He's asleep. Damn, he smells strong.'_ He marched up the stairs and into their bedroom. More open bottles of liquor and sake laid about. He kicked them out of the way and laid Ryosuke on the bed, covering him with a blanket. Standing over him, Kuramochi examined his face. His pink bangs were messy, his shirt was wrinkled and his cheeks were flushed. Redder than before.

Kuramochi gritted his teeth as he removed his coat, sneakers, pants and hopped in next to Ryosuke, wrapping his arms around his small frame. Hot tears continued to fall from his eyes. _'I swear… I fucking hope this is just a nightmare.'_

* * *

Miyuki's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean you don't want to have sex? Are you _sure_ you're Sawamura Eijun?"

Eijun smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I'm pretty sure I am. It's just that… uh… I'm not in the right mood for sex."

"I can get you in the mood."

"Th-That's not what I meant, Kazuya." The brunette scratched the back of his head nervously, sweat dripping down the back of his shirt. "I told you I wasn't feeling well–"

Miyuki crossed his arms. "I thought you got better when you came back from the hospital."

"I was in a coma, wasn't I? I guess that's part of the reason why I don't wanna have sex. Now, goodnight." Eijun turned off the light and rolled on his side of the bed.

The bespectacled man groaned in aggravation and pulled a pillow over his head. "Why the hell did I buy new boxers then?"

Eijun stifled a laugh. Suddenly, he remembered the rest of his conversation with Dr. Shimizu a week back.

 _'If it happens, consume two pills immediately. It'll calm down the flow of blood in your body to the point where you won't feel the urge to throw up," Dr. Shimizu stated._

 _Eijun looked at the small capsule in his hand. "I'm guessing there are rules I have to follow?"_

 _"Precisely."_

 _"Gah!"_

 _"First, do not get sexually excited. I mean it. No matter how turned on or how hard you are, do **not** have sex. The more your heart pumps, the more blood… you get what I'm saying, right?"_

 _Eijun sweat-dropped. "Y-Yeah… but what if Kazuya has a new move he wants to try out or has a new toy we could use—"_

 _Dr. Shimizu glared daggers at him. "Don't even think about it."_

 _"Ugh, this sucks."_

 _"Sawamura, this is for your own sake. You don't have much time to live and I'm trying to help you expand that time by at least a month. Or would you rather stay here at the hospital with me?"_

 _Eijun waved his hands in protest. "No, no, no, no! I'll do it, I'll do it!" He calmed down and stared at the capsule of pills before him. "Thank you, Dr. Shimizu. I'll take good care of my body and live until Kazuya grows old and soggy!"_

 _Dr. Shimizu smiled softly, hiding the doubt within her heart. "I sincerely hope so."_

* * *

"Raichi, you've been on your phone for almost an hour," Sanada complained. "Aren't you gonna shower and go to bed? It's getting late."

Raichi wiped the sweat off his brow and grinned innocently. "I have? Wow, time sure flies fast…"

His voice trailed off as his phone vibrated. Taking a second to disregard it, he tossed his phone aside and ran into the bathroom. "I'll… I'll take a shower."

He closed the door.

Sanada, utterly confused, walked over to the couch. _'I usually mind my business and let him do what he wants but this is just getting way out of hand. What the hell is distracting him?'_ Making sure that he heard the water running, he took Raichi's phone and pressed the home button only to see a new text message on the home screen.

His eyes widened.

 _ **RESTRICTED** : We're not playing around, Todoroki. You wouldn't want something bad to happen to your family, now would you?_

* * *

 _2:34 am_

Eijun awoke with a start. He clenched his shirt as his chest burned with a fiery sensation. His head was pounding and his heart was beating out of proportion. His toes curled on the sheets, but nothing could help him restrain the pain. Falling from the bed, he scrambled to his feet and made his way to the door despite the tears blurring his vision. He opened it and covered his mouth as he turned the corner and reached the staircase.

His throat was burning even more, making it hard for him to breathe. Taking a step, the brunette yelped as his legs suddenly went numb. Futile to hold onto the railing, he lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs, crying out in pain. _'Crap!'_

Reaching the bottom, Eijun didn't hesitate in crawling to the bathroom and getting on his knees to open the door. He screamed in agony as he heaved endless amounts of blood and vomit into the toilet. Blood splattered onto the walls and floors, creating a strange but unique design.

The former pitcher held his stomach as he continued to throw up. He could taste the saltiness of his blood and the bitterness of vomit all over his mouth. It made him sick.

His throat was scorching and his chest was aching. His shirt was drenched in cold sweat.

After a minute, the attack stopped. Weak, Eijun managed to stand. He staggered a bit but found his balance. Turning on the lights, he cleaned the toilet seat and the stray streaks of blood with toilet paper and flushed them down.

The brunette strangely felt his consciousness draining, but he wasn't done. Panicking, he rummaged through the cabinet behind the mirror to find the pills. "Where… where are they? Where, where, where, where, where?! WHERE?!" His vision blurred and he bit his lip in pain. He tried blinking but nothing cleared. Luckily, he finally found the capsule.

"Finall–"

Eyes rolling back, Eijun dropped the pills and collapsed with a thud.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hehehe! I'm back, suckas! Time for some more drama and crap! Thanks for the love! But honestly. I'm a cold blooded author. I don't deserve your love :3**

* * *

Chapter 7: Wave After Wave

Ryosuke groaned as rays of sunlight filtered through the blinds and entered the room, disturbing his slumber. He sighed as he gave up fighting against it and yawned. Attempting to sit up, he rose a brow when he figured out he couldn't move. He tried again and failed. "What the-"

Lifting the covers, the pinkette was face to face with a fully awake Kuramochi, eyes serious. "Good morning, Ryo."

Ryosuke frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Reply to my greeting first."

"I don't recall sending you an invitation. Or allowing you to be so close to me on my bed. Please do yourself a favor and remove your arms from my waist."

Unwilling to start another argument, Kuramochi did as he was told and scooted a bit to the side. He sat up and stared at the pinkette. "Are you okay?"

Ryosuke looked back at him. "Am I okay? Does it look like I'm okay? Since when did you care about my wellbeing?"

The green haired male lowered his eyelids. "Ryo, I can't believe you're saying this. I always cared about you. I just… stopped for a while."

"Exactly. You stopped. There was no reason for that pause in the middle of our relationship."

"There was."

"Elaborate."

"Sawamura. Ever since that day two years ago when he called me and said that Miyuki outright dumped him, I felt that he really needed my help. Because of me and everyone else, he's still here with us today."

Ryosuke snickered. "So that's more important than me? Your wife? Unbelievable."

"Ryo, I think you're being selfish. I _had_ to help a friend in need. Sawamura couldn't bounce back on his own after being in the darkness for so long. Doesn't it make you happy to know that your husband saved someone's life?"

"Saving a life while downright neglecting another, more like it. I will admit, I am proud that you helped Sawamura. But what you did was unacceptable."

Kuramochi rose a brow. "What did I do this time?"

Ryosuke smirked. "I'm pretty sure you already know the answer. Besides, I literally just told you."

"No, seriously. What?"

"You **_abandoned_** me."

Kuramochi's eyes widened as those three words registered in his head, echoing throughout each corner of his mind. "I… I what? Abandoned you?" _'I don't like that word. Abandoned. It makes me feel so… empty. Why did he use it? I'm not the one who…'_ He gritted his teeth. "Hey. You're the one who stopped talking to me all of a sudden. What was up with that?"

Yawning, Ryosuke slid off the bed and shuffled on his slippers. "Ara. So now we're pointing fingers? That's not nice."

The former shortstop got up also and walked around the bed, standing next to his wife. "I'm not pointing fingers. I'm asking a question."

The pinkette folded his arms. "I stopped talking to you once I realized you completely forgot about me."

"Forgot about you? Ryo, that's insane. I would never… you're _always_ on my mind."

"Correction: I _was_ always on your mind. The word 'was' should be in there somewhere."

"Ryo…"

"Forget it." Shaking his head bitterly Ryosuke began to walk out of the room when he felt a sudden pulse run through his head. He groaned as he held on the wall, panting heavily. _'Perhaps I drank a bit too much yesterday… if I remember anything at all, of course.'_

Kuramochi ran up to him, his hand on his back. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern. "When I came here last night, you were completely wasted—"

"I never asked you to reminisce." Shaking free of the latter's hold, Ryosuke turned the corner and sauntered into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Kuramochi sighed. "Ryo…"

* * *

Raichi pouted. "Dad! You promised!"

Raizou rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his tea. "Ah, quiet down! Life's been hard, Raichi. Ever since you decided on not going pro and settling down with Sanada, getting money's been difficult."

"You always say that."

Raizou cleared his throat. "I'm being honest. Stupid Sanada should've never gotten you pregnant so early."

"Hey!" Raichi barked, flushed. "Not my fault. He really wanted to be inside of me since he couldn't wait any longer—"

"Aight, no need to tell me that nasty stuff. Sorry, Raichi, but you gotta wait a little longer. Don't stress."

"Fine." The former batter stood and gulped down the rest of his tea. "I'll be going now."

"Wait a minute."

"Mhm?"

"Why are you so antsy? It's not as if they gave me a deadline or anything. Why are you worried?"

Raichi smiled nervously, scratching his head. "Uh… haha. I'm not really worried. I just want to see you free of debt, that's all."

Raizou frowned. "No one's threatening you, right?"

Raichi's heart skipped a beat. He staggered slightly. Regaining his posture he shook his head once more. "Nope. Everything is fine over here, captain."

"Okay, good. Ain't nobody better be putting hands on my boy 'cause of money. That's some low shit."

* * *

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Eijun moaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision blurry, he blinked several times until it was clear. He turned his head both ways, confused. "Where… where am I?"

Something warm hit his side. He looked over and saw Miyuki's head against his rib, snoring lightly. He touched his hand. "Kazuya? Kazuya?"

Miyuki's head sprung up as he heard a voice. His eyes widened when he realized his beloved was awake. "Eijun!" He leaned over and buried his face in his hair. "Thank God!" he said in relief. "I thought… I thought… you died." He leaned back and kissed Eijun's cheek. "How do you feel?"

The brunette shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

The door to the room slid open and Dr. Shimizu walked through with Kazujun in her arms. "He's awake, isn't he?"

Miyuki nodded.

"Mommy!" Kazujun shouted. He wriggled free of the doctor's grasp and crawled onto Eijun. He reached out and clung onto his mother's face, smiling. "Mommy awake!" he giggled. "Yay! Kazujun and Daddy was sad. Now we happy. Yay!"

Eijun planted a kiss on Kazujun's forehead. He looked up at Dr. Shimizu. "What happened? Did I collapse again?"

Miyuki spoke up. "Yeah. Like at one in the morning I heard a crash then I ran down to the bathroom. You were on the floor knocked out. There were pills sprawled on the floor also."

Eijun's and Dr. Shimizu's eyes dilated. _'Pills? Don't tell me…'_

The bespectacled man cocked his head. "What were you doing with Advil pills? Something hurt?"

The two relaxed. _'So they weren't those pills.'_

Dr. Shimizu stared straight at Eijun. "Sawamura. I told you this before. Just get more sleep and you'll be _perfectly_ fine, alright?" _'If Miyuki wasn't here, I'd tell him the truth…'_

Eijun winked. "Got it, sensei!" _'There's actually something more to it, right?'_ Sighing, he turned to Miyuki. "Kazuya."

"What?"

"I'm sorry. Again. For making you worry. I'm causing you all this trouble even though we promised not to suffer anymore."

Miyuki cackled. "Ha! Don't sweat it. Besides, this is so I can learn more about your health. Though passing out for a second time is kind of scary." _'You're not hiding anything from me, right? You promised.'_

The brunette turned over to his side. "I wanna stay here for a day or so."

"Eh? Why?"

"Oh, nothing… you can manage just fine without me."

Miyuki rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say." He gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek. Standing, he grabbed Kazujun. "See you guys. Bye, babe!"

Kazujun giggled. "Bye, mommy!"

Eijun waved lethargically. "Bye, honey boo!"

Miyuki felt a shock run down his spine once he heard that. _'H-Honey boo? That sounds awfully familiar…'_

Once they left, Dr. Shimizu leaned against the wall. "Is there a real reason as to why you're staying here for a few days?"

Eijun smiled painfully. "I'm… teaching Kazuya how to live without me. Because that's what he'll be doing…

…when I die."


	8. Chapter 8

**No caption needed xD**

* * *

Chapter 8: Encounter and Doubts

Miyuki sighed as he sat on the couch, blankly staring at the ceiling. He rocked side to side as a certain thought consistently occupied his mind. He turned to Kazujun who was playing with his blocks. "Ne, Kazu."

Kazujun looked up. "Daddy?"

"Do you hate me?"

"…" Kazujun cocked his head, having no idea what his father just said. He continued to play with his blocks while the older man ranted.

"I mean, you really should hate me. I was an asshole when your mother was carrying you. I still don't understand why I acted like that. I broke his heart and his body, but he still loves me. Honestly… I don't think I deserve him. He's going through so much even now, but I can't do anything. I don't know what's going on. After we got back together I realized that he's probably afraid of me on the inside. Afraid that I'll lash out and leave him again. I'm scared of myself. I don't even know what I'll do. I caused your mother a lot of pain. I cheated on him in highschool with Furuya but that was… something else. I don't have words for that. I was so stupid. Why didn't I recognize that I was hurting him? What was I aiming for?"

Kazujun's smiled dropped as he saw his father's fingers tremble. He crawled onto his lap and hugged his chest. "Daddy no cwy," he said as best as he could. "Mommy no like you cwy."

Miyuki chuckled as he tightly hugged his son, kissing his cheek. "Yeah… you're right. Mommy's gonna tease me if he sees me like this." He looked up at the clock on the wall and stood. "Let's go buy some groceries for your mom. Ice cream?"

Kazujun nodded eagerly. "Ice cweam!"

Miyuki held him in the air and raced to their bedroom, imitating plane noises. "Hold on tight, folks! We're coming in for a landing!"

* * *

Eijun sat up in his hospital bed, playing with his fingers. 'I wonder how Kazuya and Kazujun are doing… wait, I shouldn't be worrying about them. They should be fine.'

Dr. Shimizu poked her head into his room. "Sawamura, you have a visitor."

Eijun rose a brow. "Visitor? Who?"

"Kominato-kun."

"Ah, Harucchi! Bring him in!"

Haruichi shyly walked inside the room and sat on the stool next to Eijun's bed. "Hi, Eijun-kun- whoa!" He laughed as the brunette trapped him in a bear hug, squeezing the life out of him. "C-Calm down, Eijun-kun! I can't breathe!"

The former pitcher pulled back and smiled cheekily. "Hahaha! It's just been a long time since I've seen you, Harucchi! How've ya been?"

"Good, good. I mean, being with Satoru has been fine."

Eijun's jaw dropped. "FURUYA?! HARUCCHI, YOU'RE DATING FURUYA?!"

The pinkette told him to quiet down and continued. "Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No!"

"Oh… sorry. I thought you knew."

Eijun leaned back, deep in thought. _'So Furuya moved on already, huh? That's nice. He's having someone else taking care of his child that came from Kazuya…'_ He shook his head and came back to the conversation. "So how's his child?"

Haruichi fiddled with his bag a bit before he spoke. "Sai is a nice child. I love him and everything about him. I'm only disappointed that it wasn't our child. It came from Miyuki-senpai, right? I mean, I'm not sad or anything but I want Satoru and I to have a child."

"Then go ahead and have one."

"Eh?"

Eijun looked at Haruichi directly in the eye. "You don't have anything to lose. He's yours now. Feel free to do whatever you want. Remind him that you're his future, not Kazuya. Don't let the fact that Sai is a mini-Kazuya stop you or him."

Haruichi gasped in awe. This never occurred to him. He blushed heavily and scratched his cheek. "Eijun-kun… I never knew you were this smart."

The brunette gawked, his eyes dilating. "Gah, Harucchi! You of all people would say that?! Well, I guess it does make sense. After all that drama happened with Kazuya… I became more aware of how things work. With feelings and stuff. Honestly, I'm still kinda scared of Kazuya. His subtleness is hard to get and you never know what he's thinking. He could leave me again for all we know. But I shouldn't be thinking negative like that, huh? Being positive really helped me back then and I can't give up now."

Haruichi rubbed Eijun's shoulder. "Now that's the Eijun-kun I know."

"Hehe, I try my best." _'My best might not be enough while fighting this disease…'_

* * *

Miyuki whistled as he pushed his cart down the aisle, searching for his needs. Kazujun rode along with him in the child part of the cart. He took a box of macaroni and put it inside. He headed to the ice cream section and rose a brow when he saw someone familiar. "Furuya?"

Furuya turned around and looked at the bespectacled man, his eyes slightly filled with surprise. "Kazuya? I mean, Miyuki…"

Miyuki rolled up to him and folded his arms. "Don't sweat it. It's been a long time."

"Yeah."

"How've you been?"

"Fine." _'Without you.'_

Kazujun pointed at Sai in Furuya's cart. "Sai!" he shouted, eyes twinkling.

Sai looked up at him impassively. "Kaaaaajun," he drawled.

"Hi, hi!"

"Hi…" Sai turned back to playing with his shoelaces.

Miyuki laughed softly. "It seems like they've already met, huh? That's nice to know. How's Sai been?"

Furuya placed a bucket of chocolate ice cream in his cart. "Good. He's a little… cynical sometimes but I expected it. Considering that he was our child." The raven-head averted his eyes, regretting his previous statement.

Miyuki's face deterred for a second. He laid his hand on the former pitcher's arm and said, "Sorry for the bad memories. I didn't mean to be such a jerk. Sai was our child and I hope you're happy with him. I'll take good care of Kazujun and you should do the same with Sai. Deal?"

The raven-head offered him a slight smile and nodded. "Okay. I'll do just that." He took the former catcher's hand and held it before letting go. "I'll leave first. Bye."

"Mhm. See ya." Miyuki's face darkened as Furuya and Sai strolled away. Kazujun waved to them happily.

 _'So… this isn't really over, huh?'_

* * *

 **10:35 PM**

Eijun hummed a tune as he exited a corner store and strolled down the hill. Suddenly, he felt something or someone behind him and turned around. He gasped as he saw several gangster looking men surround him.

"Hey, bitch," one of them said.

"Let's go somewhere secret and fuck," another one said.

Eijun frowned. "Excuse me, but I have someplace to be right now. So fuck off."

A thug with pink hair smirked. "Ooh, shawty fierce. Damn. You're makin' me even more turned on. Come on! It ain't even that late! Why don't we go and fuck? I'll pay you."

"I said NO!" Eijun turned around but then one guy viciously grabbed his arm and pulled him towards him. "You're coming with us!"

The brunette screamed in protest as the gang tugged and dragged him to a van. He held his ground as best as he could but they were too strong. _'Someone,'_ he thought. _'Someone…'_

"HEY!" a voice yelled. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! LET GO OF HIM!"

The gangsters immediately let go of Eijun and bowed to the dark haired man approaching them. "W-We're sorry!" they apologized in unison.

The man spat on the ground and sucked his teeth. "Ya really ain't got no type of ears, eh? What the hell I tell ya about doing this type of shit when I'm ain't around?! I told ya to pick on people when we together! I'm tired of ya doing this bullshit! Next time I see this, I'm beating ya asses! Do you understand?"

The gang nodded vehemently, sweat dripping down their faces and necks. "Yes, yes, yes! We won't do it ever again!"

The man sighed. "Damn. Ya can go. See ya later, aight?"

As the gang scurried away, the man turned to Eijun and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that," he said. "They can be a little reckless."

Eijun sweat-dropped. _'His slang vanished!'_ He shook his head as he straightened his clothes and picked up his plastic bags. "N-No, it's fine… thanks for helping me out. Do you know them?"

"Yeah. I'm the leader of the gang."

The brunette froze, shivers running down his spine. "G-Gah! Please don't hurt me! I did nothing wrong! Stay away from me!" He covered his body in fear.

The man laughed. "Ha! Don't worry. I won't hurt you."

"Why's that? You look dangerous enough."

"Ow, that hurt."

"Are you sure you're not potentially harmful? I'm trying _so_ hard not to end up in a hospital again."

The man shrugged. "Depends on how you look at me." He winked. "Follow me." He shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk down the hill.

Eijun called after him, "Uh, I have to get home!"

"I know. We'll hang out in the park for a while before you go."

"Eh…"

A few minutes later the two of them sat side by side, staring at the night sky. Making sure the man wasn't looking, Eijun took a peek at him.

The man had spiky black hair with some strands in the front, blocking his forehead. He had a black piercing on the top of his left ear and a bizarre black star tattoo on his neck. His skin was a bit lighter compared to Eijun's. He was wearing a black vest, black shirt with graffiti art, black cargo pants and white Jordans.

The man caught the brunette staring and stuck out his tongue. "Is there something you're interested in?"

"Ha! As if! I just… just wanted to take a closer look. I'm guessing that your favorite color is black."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm sorry for what happened back there. I should've controlled them better."

Eijun pouted. "I told you, it's fine." _'I almost got kidnapped! How is that fine?!'_

"Oh, ok. I'm just making sure. You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Oi! I'm said I'm fine!"

"Alright, alright."

Eijun scratched his cheek in confusion. "Besides, why do you care so much?"

The man thought to himself and finally said, "I'm not sure. Guess I'm a softie at heart for people like you."

"People like me? Hey, what's that supposed to mean?! Was that an insult?"

"Nailed it."

"Meanie!" Eijun puffed steam from his ears, a vein popping on his forehead. ' _Jeez, what's his problem?'_

The man stood and held out his hand. "Forgot to introduce myself. The name's Park Yamato. I was born in Korea but raised in Japan, so that's why my last name is Park."

Eijun accepted his hand and stood also. "Sawamura Eijun. So you're a foreigner, huh?"

"Obviously."

"Stop making fun of me!" He checked his phone. "Gah! I gotta go home now, so… bye."

"I'll walk you home," Yamato offered.

The brunette gave him an incredulous look. "Yeah, yeah, like I'm that stupid! I don't really trust you and we literally just met!"

"Fine, fine. Go home. Be safe. If anyone tries to jump you, hit me up. I'll beat they ass."

Eijun playfully rolled his eyes as he waved goodbye to Yamato and walked home.

Yamato stood where he was until his new friend was completely out of sight. He smiled and turned around, heading the opposite way. "Sawamura Eijun, huh…"


	9. Chapter 9

**Wassup, homies! It's ya fav author, redpenkiller! Yeah, yeah, I've low-key "abandoned" this story (pun intended) but I'm back and I also promise I'm gonna update Hitman too. Now then, onto the show!**

* * *

Chapter 9: Visitors

The ever persisting drip drop of the faucet.

The moans of the pipes resonating behind the walls.

Eijun stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. There were bags under his dull eyes, evidence of his lack of sleep. He was being deprived. But it wasn't his fault, after all. He was dying.

Sighing, he opened the cabinet behind the mirror and retrieved the pills Dr. Shimizu had prescribed to him. He popped open the cap and looked inside. _'So this is what's supposed to save me, huh?'_ he thought, taking two of them to the mouth. He swallowed them with some water and grimaced. They tasted bitter. _'I really hope… I live for a bit longer. I want to…'_

The brunette returned the pills to its original position and walked out the bathroom. He slowly ambled to the bedroom where Miyuki was getting ready for work in front of the mirror. Kazujun was playing on the bed beside him.

"So you're heading back to work?" Eijun asked, sitting at the computer desk.

Miyuki turned around and grinned, tucking in his white shirt. "Of course," he chuckled. "My leave was long enough. I bet all my female co-workers miss the shit out of me."

The brunette pouted. "Female…"

"What? Are you jealous?"

"Oh, sh-shut up!" Eijun buried his face in his hands. "Why would I be jealous? You're all mine."

Miyuki walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. I'm all yours. It's gonna stay that way too, no matter what."

Eijun sighed, looking up at his husband. "Kazuya, you're _still_ on that? I told you that it's okay… you don't have to apologize anymore."

The former catcher shook his head in disbelief. A shadow fell over his face. "No… sorry will never be enough. I hurt you so much to the point where you almost committed suicide. Where you almost gave up on Kazujun and our friends. I… I will never let that life changing experience go. From now on, I'll do my best to protect you and love you."

Eijun felt his chest grow warm and he smiled bitterly. It was quite annoying to hear Miyuki's continuous apologies but it made him content to know that he cared about him. His cheeks pink, he stood and wrapped his arms around the older male. _'He smells nice… I want this feeling to last forever…'_ But he already knew it was impossible.

Miyuki kissed the brunette's hair and rubbed his back as he broke the embrace. He looked in the mirror one last time before grabbing his briefcase in one hand and Kazujun in the other.

Eijun followed him downstairs into the living room. "What time are you coming back?"

Miyuki thought for a while and then shrugged. "Who knows? Probably by midnight since I might have a lot of work undone. Are you planning to stay up for me?"

"Y-Yeah." _'How the heck did he see through my thoughts?'_

"Don't. I don't want you collapsing again because you're not sleeping enough." A small smirk appeared on the bespectacled man's lips.

The former pitcher gawked. "Gah! That was not funny; that's corny! What if I never woke up again?"

"Well… I don't know what I'd do." Miyuki gave Eijun a quick kiss on the lips and said his goodbyes as he walked out the front door. Kazujun waved to his mother, smiling.

Eijun stood there in silence as the door shut. Fingers trembling, he slowly sunk against the wall. He could feel the pills getting to his head, but not as severely like the first time he took them. His vision blurred and returned back to normal. Fresh tears escaped his eyes and leaked down his cheeks, dripping onto his shirt. _'If I never woke up again,'_ he thought, _'Kazuya wouldn't know what to do… damn… am I really going to leave him like this?'_

* * *

Kuramochi speedily latched onto Ryosuke's arm, gritting his teeth. "Let that freaking bottle go, Ryo!" he growled.

Ryosuke tightened his grip on the bottle of alcohol, struggling to pull Kuramochi's hand away. "As of now, you have no right to tell me what to do. Why don't you let go and allow me to drink my problems away?"

The former shortstop retorted by pulling the older male's shirt back and extending his free arm to the bottle in the air. "Drinking won't solve anything, dammit! You're not helping yourself at all. Give this to me and I'll stop bothering you."

Ryosuke shook his head. "How about you stop bothering me and I'll keep drinking? Besides, since when did you start caring about me? When you were with Sawamura, I was completely invisible to you."

"Well… well, not anymore. I'm here now and I will make things better. Ryo, why don't you believe me? Before all that drama two years ago, I was always by your side. Now you're acting like I'm some sort of stranger. That's petty as hell."

"It's not being petty. It's called making you feel the same amount of pain I felt during that harsh time."

"That was two years ago. _Two_ years ago. Can't you just forgive me already? I truly am sorry. I will never abandon you again, I promise–"

Fed up, Ryosuke twisted his body and ripped free of Kuramochi's hold. He took a step back. "Why are you apologizing? As if you don't have anything better to do."

The green haired male sighed. "I don't. That's why I'm here, fighting for you. You don't want me back, you're an alcoholic, you're… you're not the Ryo I used to know. The real Ryo would understand why I stood by Sawamura's side for that long. The real Ryo would accept my apology and let us reunite. I guess… two years really does make a difference." Kuramochi sighed again before turning around and sauntering down the stairs, his head low and shoulders slumped.

Ryosuke stared after him, his grip on the bottle of alcohol weakening. _'Youichi… I'm sorry, but… I just can't forgive you so fast… I need time… please… I can't admit it right now because of my pride, but… I need time to think too. You're not alone.'_

* * *

Miyuki tapped away on his laptop in his office, his eyes rapidly running across the screen. "So if we increase the percentage of this, our overall gain would increase as well." He shook his head. "No, then that'll mean we'll have to drop items off the market in order to… hmm, how should I do this?"

Suddenly, the door to his office slid open and a woman bowed. "Miyuki-san, you have a visitor."

Miyuki stopped typing for a second. "Tell them to come back during my break, I'm kinda busy."

"But sir, he insists on talking to you now–"

"Oh, get outta my way," an old, crabby voice said. The footsteps grew louder as the man walked inside. "Can't an old man have a nice talk with his in-law?"

Miyuki's eyes widened. "Eh? Old man Sawamura? What are you doing here?" He turned to the lady. "It's ok, you can go."

The door closed.

The bespectacled man shut his laptop and got up from his office chair, extending his hand to Sawamura Eitoku. "Jeez, it's been a long time, old man. How's it going?"

Eitoku waved his hand away as he took a seat on the couch. He pointed at the seat in front of him, motioning for Miyuki to sit. "It's good, good. No need for formalities. You can call me Grandpa like everyone else."

Miyuki handed the old man a cup of tea and sat down. "What brings you here? Why the sudden visit?"

Eitoku cleared his throat. "I ain't here for a friendly discussion, Miyuki. I know I'm a bit late, but I wanna discuss about what you did to ma boy Eijun two years ago."

The former catcher's face darkened. His fingers clenched at the leather beneath him. "Oh… I'm _terribly_ sorry, Grandpa. I just–"

"You just nothing," Eitoku interjected, his eyes glinting with disgust. "From the moment Eijun brought you into our home, I knew you weren't the right one for him. I asked him again and again if he really wanted to be with you; he said yes. I said, fine, go ahead. I warned him and look at what happened. You cheated on him, you left him and the… child. All alone while his little friends like, uh… like Cheetah Boy and Vanilla Ice had to fight through the pain with him. I even heard ma boy tried to commit suicide! Just what in the _heck_ was wrong with ya? Why did ya hurt him if ya loved him?"

Miyuki took a deep breath before looking at Eitoku straight in the face with watery eyes. "I was a complete idiot. I didn't know what I was doing to him. I was just… scared. To be honest, I went out with him in highschool so I could keep my title as best catcher. But I actually had feelings for him. Soon after we got married, he got annoying and then knowing that he was pregnant… really shook me. I was afraid because I was guilty of cheating, so I left him for as long as possible. I pretended I never cared about him or the child, but it made me feel all the more guilty. I couldn't take it anymore so I came back to Eijun after he gave birth, but he wouldn't give me a second chance. It was understandable. I hurt and scarred him so much that he never wished to see me again. I couldn't believe that I changed him so much. I'm so sorry. But now… now we're back together for real and I promise to raise a perfect family for you guys. I _swear_."

Eitoku rubbed his chin. "I oughta slap the daylights out of you right now, baka bishounen."

"I can understand."

"I didn't mean literally. I would, but I've heard enough." He gulped down the rest of his tea and stood, massaging his back with his hand. He walked towards the door and Miyuki followed him.

"So, you came all the way from Nagano to Tokyo for that?" Miyuki asked.

Suddenly perturbed, Eitoku turned and slapped the shit out of the bespectacled man, his glasses falling to the ground. "Can't an old man be worried about his grandson's relationship?! Little whippersnapper! Fix that attitude in your darned tone before ya _really_ regret hurting ma boy like that!"

Miyuki picked up his glasses and put them back on, laughing quietly. The stinging sensation on his cheek vanished, leaving a bright red handprint. "Y-Yes, Grandpa," he stuttered. "Are you going to drop by at home to see Eijun?"

"Hmm, maybe I'll pay a visit. Where is it?"

The former catcher wrote down the address of his house and handed it to the old man. "Here you go," he said. "Tell Eijun not to stay up for me, please. I want him to rest a lot."

Eitoku rose a brow. "Oh? Why is that?"

"It's just that… I think he's a bit sick. Nothing too serious, hopefully. I want him to sleep so he can regain his strength. That's all."

The latter nodded as he walked out, scratching his ass. "It was nice talking to ya, brat. I'll be keeping my eye on ya."

Miyuki chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sure thing, Grandpa. Sure thing."

* * *

Sitting on the sofa wrapped up in blankets, Eijun yawned as he marathoned episodes of SpongeBob endlessly. The air was cold, harnessing a lonely sensation to it. The blinds were shut. Everything was still. No noise save for SpongeBob's laughter resonating from the flat screen TV. Eijun couldn't bear it. Honestly, he was afraid. He needed someone, but everyone was busy. He couldn't go outside either because of what Miyuki had said earlier. _'This fucking sucks,'_ Eijun thought, sighing.

 _Ding! Dong!_

The brunette rose a brow. _'Who's at the door?'_ He glanced at the digital clock on the glass table before him.

 **4:47 PM**

'Kazuya shouldn't be home yet.' Standing up either way, Eijun pushed the blankets off of him and walked towards the door. He peeked through the hole in the door and shouted in disbelief. "WHAT THE–!" Shocked, he opened the door and gaped. "You… you again?! How did you…"

Yamato smiled. "Yo, Sawamura."

"Eh? P-Park-san? How did you know where I live? A-A-Are you stalking me? Are you here to beat me up?!" The former pitcher held up his fists and jabbed at the air, earning a laugh from Yamato. "Huh?! W-What's so funny?"

Yamato shoved his hands in his pockets. "I didn't come here for violence, Sawamura. I just came here to… chill. Keep you company. Isn't that what Japanese people do?"

Eijun relaxed, nodding. "Sure. But we only met once. That doesn't mean we're friends or anything."

"Fine, then I'll leave–"

"No, no! It's okay! Come in! I need someone to keep me company anyways. I'm pretty bored at the mom—UGH!" The brunette held his head as a sharp pain pulsed through his brain, causing his knees to give out on him.

Luckily, Yamato caught him by the shoulders and held him close. Beads of sweat were gliding down the latter's forehead, his teeth chattering. "S-Sawamura, are you okay?!"

"I'm fine… it's j-just a… c-c-cold…" Eijun exhaled heavily, icy shivers running through his body.

The black haired male shrugged as he lifted Eijun bridal style and walked into the house, closing the door behind him. "Doesn't seem like a cold to me," he scoffed, laying him on the couch. He sat down next to him, removing his leather jacket.

Eijun laughed weakly as his shirt became soaked in sweat. _'These pills… they really… I'm not used to them yet… they'll help me stay alive… right? That's what Dr. Shimizu said, right? She would n-never… lie to me…'_ He blinked slowly, his surroundings blurring.

 _Ring! Ring!_

Yamato looked at the glass table to see Eijun's phone ringing. He reached for it and waved it in front of the brunette. "You want me to answer?"

The former pitcher shook his head, taking the phone. He swiped the answer button. "… Hello?"

Miyuki sighed on the other line. "What are you doing right now?"

"N-Nothing."

"You sound out of breath. Are you okay?"

"T-Totally fine. What's up?"

"Your grandpa came to visit me at work. He's coming to see you. He should be there right about now."

 _Ding! Dong!_

Eijun's eyes widened. As if the sickness flew out of him, he stood and grabbed Yamato by the wrist, dragging him upstairs. "OH, MY GOD! YOU NEED TO HIDE! NOW!"

Yamato rose a brow. "Wait, why?"

"My old man is coming and he _HATES_ seeing me around other guys! Hide here for now!" Eijun shoved the male inside his bedroom closet and sighed. Changing into a different shirt, he ran back downstairs and opened the door.

Eitoku sucked his teeth. "What took ya so long? I don't want to catch a cold, baka."

 _15 Minutes Later_

"So is that boy Miyuki taking good care of ya?" Eitoku asked warily.

Eijun smiled. "Of course he is. He's been really considerate lately and he's always watching out for me… he's amazing."

"Then why would he leave you?"

"Hehe… that was the past, Gramps. He's changed a whole lot. We learned that we made mistakes and gave it another shot. We're happy now with Kazujun."

"D-Don't you think he might abandon you again?"

"GRAMPS! Why are being so negative?! Jeez, I'm not in the mood for this! Kazuya won't ever do that… again. I'm sure of it. We were just immature back then. He loves me and I love him. _'… Am I sure?'_

Eitoku shrugged. "Fine, fine. I warned you ever since you introduced me to him to be careful. Now… never mind. Just be happy with him if you want. If I hear of another bullshit event, I'll be getting my cane on both of you."

Eijun sweat-dropped. "Hehe, okay. I'll be careful."

"Well then, I'll be on my way," Eitoku said, standing up. He made his way to the door. "I just wanted to check up on you after that horrible time." Before he left, he remembered what Miyuki told him. "Oh, yeah. The boy said not to stay up for him. He wants you to rest."

Eijun pouted. "I know, I know."

As soon as the old man left, the brunette dashed upstairs and opened the closet. "Sorry–"

Yamato wasn't there.

The former pitcher turned and stared at the open window, the curtain fluttering. He walked to the window and saw Yamato standing on the street. "What are you doing down there?!" he shouted.

Yamato grinned. "I didn't wanna disturb you while you were sick. Why don't I come pick you up once you're better and take you out for some fun?"

"O-Ok… see ya!"

The gang leader stuck out his tongue and walked across the street, disappearing.

Eijun scratched his head in confusion. "He's weird… first he stops his gang from hurting me, then he comes to my house out of nowhere… what does he want from me?"


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm a horrible author. How can I leave you guys for so long?! I'm so lazy~**

* * *

Chapter 10: Liars

 _10:56 pm_

Miyuki sighed in relief as he unlocked the door to his house and stepped past the threshold. "Today was a long day," he muttered to himself. Setting down his briefcase near the door, he made his way to the living room. He rolled his eyes, finding Eijun sprawled on the couch with the television on. Drool was gliding down the corner of his mouth, rapidly leaking onto his shirt. "I told you not to stay up for me, baka." Planting a kiss on his cheek, he grabbed the remote and turned off the television.

Just as the bespectacled male was about to scoop Eijun up to bring him upstairs, he eyed a leather jacket on the arm of the couch. He frowned. Neither of them owned a leather jacket. He was pretty sure Eijun only went outside to bring Kazujun home, and didn't go shopping afterwards. With that thought lingering in his mind, Miyuki tightened his hold on his wife and went to their room.

Eijun groaned as he felt his head hitting a pillow. Yawning, he slowly opened his eyes. He was met with a dark expression on his husband's face. "K-Kazuya? You're here?"

Miyuki bent down next to him. "Go back to sleep," he said sternly. "We'll talk in the morning." He left the room and headed to check on Kazujun.

The brunette scratched his head in confusion. Shrugging, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep. _'What was that about?'_

* * *

 _The next morning…_

Eijun blinked as he found Miyuki leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms folded. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Miyuki crossed his legs at the ankles. "I don't know. You tell me."

"What's wrong, Kazuya?" The brunette gave the older male a playful punch on the shoulder. "Maybe you need more sleep."

The bespectacled male was not amused. He knew the latter was denser than a rock, but not this dense to not realize that something was wrong. "Oh, I slept enough. That's not the problem."

"Then what's the problem?"

"No, what's _your_ problem?"

Eijun rose a brow. Miyuki's sudden attitude was beginning to tick him off. "What did I do this time? Are you mad?"

Miyuki pointed over to the couch. "What the hell is that?"

The former pitcher turned around and stared at the couch. "What are you–" He gasped, remembering that Yamato had left his leather jacket at his house. "That idiot!"

The former catcher gritted his teeth. "Who are you referring to? You had someone over yesterday, didn't you? A male, nonetheless. Why is that jacket here? What were you two doing here? Answer me!"

Eijun turned back around, opening the refrigerator. "I don't know why you're so mad! He's just a friend I met a few days ago!"

"What's his name?"

"Why are you so curious?! Damn, you're supposed to trust me!"

"I can't trust you around males I don't know!"

"What, do you expect me to cheat on you or something?!"

Miyuki shut his mouth, averting his eyes elsewhere.

Feeling disgusted, Eijun squinted as he looked up at his husband in disbelief. "Are you serious?! You actually expect _me_ to cheat on _you_ with someone I barely even know?!"

"Barely even know? Then why did you bring him the house?"

"I didn't! He came by himself!"

"He knows where you live?! How?!"

"How would I know?! He just… showed up and said he wanted to chill!"

Miyuki shook his head. "This is stupid. Don't you ever bring him into this house again."

Eijun scoffed. "Wait. I can't have friends now?"

"He's not a friend. I feel like I can't trust him."

"Oh… I see. So you're jealous."

The bespectacled male flinched. "Me? Jealous? No, it's called me being protective. I don't want anyone to hurt you."

The brunette grabbed a bowl from a rack and poured some corn flakes along with some milk. "He's not going to hurt me, Kazuya. He's nice." _'Even though he's a gang leader!'_

"Explain 'nice'."

"Sheesh, I don't know! He just is!"

"You… do realize I'm not trying to have a repeat of what happened two years ago, right? I don't… want anyone coming inbetween us."

"So you were jealous~"

"Sh-Shut up!" Glancing at his watch, Miyuki walked over to Kazujun who was waiting at the door for him. "Listen, Eijun. I'll be coming home a bit early today, so I don't wanna see that jacket here. Alright?"

Eijun gave him a brief nod.

"You're not going to ask me for a kiss or anything?"

"…Ask Furuya to give you one."

Miyuki's jaw dropped to the ground. "Eh? I didn't mean to make you mad; I was just kind of pissed–"

"Leave, Kazuya! Bye, Kazujun!"

* * *

Raichi panted heavily as he answered the phone call, his throat dry. He put his ear to his ear, his heartbeat quickening. "W-What the hell d-do you want from me?! What?!"

The person on the opposite line sneered. "Todoroki," he drawled. "How long are you going to keep us waiting?!"

"I-I-I told you… this has nothing to do with me!"

"Oh, yes it does. You're his son so that automatically connects to you~"

"L-Leave me the hell alone! Stop harassing me!"

"Not until you pay up, little _bitch_."

"What are you g-going to do i-if I don't?"

"We're killing your fucking son and your husband."

Raichi gulped. He pulled on the collar of his shirt, allowing some cool air to flow in. "H-How do you even know I have a child?!"

"You're acting as if we don't have an eye on you, Todoroki~"

"Leave my son out of this! You will not put a damn hand on him!"

"We'll see about that. Ta-ta~"

The person hung up.

Raichi's phone dropped from his hand, his eyes widening. His face was dripping with anxious sweat as he ran up to Raishun's room and burst open the door.

Raishun looked up in fear and then lowered his guard. "Mommy, don't do that! You scared me."

The former batter went to his son and crouched down. "Listen," he whispered. "From now on, do _not_ go outside without my permission. Whenever you're home alone, no matter how briefly, hide in the closet. Don't open the door to anyone. If the phone rings, don't answer it. Okay?"

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

Raichi forced a smile. "Mommy is just… a bit worried, okay? Anyway, do what I said to do."

Raishun began to tear up. His bottom lip trembling, he wrapped his arms around his mom's neck. "Mommy! I don't want anything bad to happen to you or daddy! I'm scared!"

Raichi tightened the embrace, rubbing his child's back soothingly. "You don't need to be scared, baka. We'll be fine. I promise."

* * *

Ryosuke put his hands behind his back. "What's this all about?"

Kuramochi waved a bottle of alcohol in front of him. "See this?" He opened the window and tossed it out, satisfied when he heard the sound of glass shattering.

The pinkette's eyebrows rose. "Just what do you think you are doing with my alcohol?"

"What does it look like? I'm helping you."

"I don't understand. Who told you to touch those?"

The green haired male reached in the fridge for another bottle. "You're a freaking alcoholic, Ryo. I'm helping you by throwing all of your drinks out." He tossed the bottle out the window again, chuckling.

Ryosuke scratched his cheek. "I would appreciate it if you stopped. I'm not an alcoholic. I'm drinking my problems away."

"That's not healthy! Damn it, why won't you accept my apology already? I'm getting tired of this!"

"You're not worthy of having your apology accepted. Not yet."

"So how long will I have to wait? Ryo, I'm dying. I need you back! I _want_ you back!"

"Why do you want me back?"

Kuramochi was taken aback. "Why… what do you mean why? I want you back because I love you!"

The shorter male hissed. "I don't believe you. You said that so many times before but you can never prove it–" His words were interrupted as Kuramochi viciously pulled him by the waist and locked their lips. He repeatedly hit the former shortstop in the stomach, begging to be released but it was futile.

Kuramochi pulled Ryosuke closer until he could push his tongue further inside his mouth, exploring the warm and wet cave. He grimaced slightly at the taste of alcohol. It was sweet, but faint and somewhat bitter. He was unsatisfied with how much Ryosuke was resisting him, but he couldn't stop his lips. He wanted to prove that he did love him, either the easy way or the hard way.

Fed up, the pinkette chomped down on the latter's tongue with murderous intent, causing their lips to separate as the green haired male screamed in pain. He took in a deep breath and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Nice try," he said. "But that won't be enough to prove that you still love me." Turning around, he put on his sneakers and went outside, closing the door behind him.

Kuramochi cringed in pain as his tongue pounded feverishly. He shook his head in defeat. ' _There must be something I can do! I ain't giving up on him anytime soon!'_

* * *

Eijun grabbed Yamato's jacket from the dryer and headed to the park to where they first met. _'Maybe he's here,'_ he thought.

Approaching the park, his hunch was proven correct as he saw Yamato sitting on a bench, crushing a cigarette beneath his foot. The brunette yelled as he rushed up to him and pointed at him. "PARK-SAN!"

Yamato's eyes lit up in joy, completely unaware of the latter's rage. "Ah, Sawamura! It's good to see you again! I think I forgot my jacket at your place!"

"Of course you did, idiot!" The former pitcher shoved the jacket in his face and sat down next to him, smoke puffing from his ears. "I went through so much trouble to wash it too!"

Yamato smiled. "Really? Wow, that's so nice of you! I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"It was nothing!" _'You have no idea how screwed I was this morning! Just how stupid are you?!'_

"Also, don't call me Park. Yamato is cool."

Eijun rolled his eyes. "Whatever!"

The dark haired male smiled again. "Are you mad?"

"Obviously!"

"Then keep being mad. You look adorable."

The brunette gawked. "Adorable? Adorable?! Of all things you could have called me, I'm _adorable_?! What an insult! Stop teasing me!"

Yamato sighed. "Insult? Tease? No, I meant that as a compliment."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means I find you attractive, Sawamura."

Eijun paused his rant as he felt his cheeks heat up. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "E-Eh? Attractive?"

The gang leader gasped, realizing that he accidentally let the cat out the bag. He covered his mouth, blushing. "S-Sorry! That came out of nowhere! Didn't mean to…"

"I-It's alright…" _'Maybe I shouldn't tell him about Kazuya. I don't wanna hurt him or anything._ ' He inhaled deeply before breaking the awkward silence. "S-So, what do you like about me?"

Yamato cocked his head. "Like? What? I said that you're attractive, not that I liked you."

The former pitcher's mouth fell open as he froze on the spot. His eyebrow twitched in bewilderment. "H-Huh… I see…"

"What if I did like you? Would that be a problem?"

"…"

"Ah! It would?!"

"I didn't say that! I gotta go home now! I can't be outside too long! Bye!" Gnashing his teeth in frustration, Eijun sharply got up from his seat, bowed at a ninety degree angle and was about to stomp away until a hand grabbed his wrist. He turned around, glaring daggers at the older male. "Mou, what now?! More teasing?!"

Yamato smirked. "Can I at least get a hug before you go?"

"No!" The brunette shouted, pulling away. He bowed again and ran off towards the street, mumbling about the ways he would kill him if he had the chance.

Yamato stared after at him, confused. "Hmm, was it something I said? But, man… that sure is a nice ass."


	11. Chapter 11

**Part one of the major events will now take place xD**

* * *

Chapter 11: Hanging On

 _5:36 pm_

Miyuki walked into the main bedroom and closed the door behind him. Work always got in the way of spending time alone with Eijun, but now that he was home early, he could finally relax and find comfort in the arms of his spouse.

Or so he thought.

Eijun was laying on the bed, bags of chips, sweets and sodas surrounding him. He picked up the remote and changed the channel, completely unaware of his husband's presence.

Miyuki unbuttoned his shirt and loosened his tie. "I'm home~"

No response.

"Eijun, can you hear me?"

Silence yet again.

"I said I'm home."

Eijun shrugged, stuffing a handful of Doritos in his mouth. _'Okay, so?'_

The bespectacled male sweat-dropped. "Wait, are you still angry about what happened this morning? You got rid of the jacket, so I'm fine now."

Another shrug accompanied by a loud burp.

Sighing, Miyuki stood in front of the TV with his hands at his sides. The brunette moved to the left but he moved also. He dodged to the right but the screen was still blocked. This carried on until Eijun finally snapped.

"Mou! I'm trying to ignore you! Stop bothering me so I can ignore you! Is that too much to ask for?!"

"Uh, yeah. Why are you ignoring me?"

"I want to! Now move! I can't see my drama!"

"I'm not mad anymore."

"Okay, and?! I'm not ignoring you because of that!"

"Then what?"

Eijun folded his arms across his chest, pouting. "You accused me of cheating."

Miyuki's brow rose. "Oh. That's it?"

"DON'T TAKE IT SO LIGHTLY, BASTARD!"

The former catcher laughed in amusement as he plopped down on the bed next to his spouse. He snatched an unopened bag of caramelized popcorn and shoved some down his throat.

The shorter male gasped. "Hey, that's mine! You don't even like sweets!"

"Don't care. We're supposed to share in this house."

"Wow, I wonder who made that rule!"

"I did. Just now. By the way, aren't you supposed to be ignoring me?"

"Do you _wanna_ be ignored?!"

Miyuki turned off the TV and pulled Eijun closer towards him. "I came home early, so I don't want to be ignored over something petty. I want to relax." He held up his hand in front of the latter's lips. "My fingers are sticky. Would you mind licking them for me?"

Eijun hummed. "Fine, I'll stop ignoring you. But what's in it for me?"

The bespectacled male whispered into the brunette's ear seductively. "I'll fuck you. I'll make you melt under my touch while you moan for me to go harder and deeper. I'll pull on your hair and spank you until you scream in pleasure. I'll suck on your thighs as I pinch your pert nipples. How's that sound?" With that, he rejoiced at the lewd expression on Eijun's face as he slowly sucked his index finger, his cheeks red. "You're making me fantasize about all the forbidden things I could do to you on this bed. Keep up the good work."

The former pitcher bit on his finger. "Shut up!"

"Ow, that hurt."

* * *

Ryosuke grimaced as he gulped another shot of alcohol and slammed the small glass against the counter. The strong but refreshing sting of the liquid smoothly glided down his throat, a warm feeling blooming in his chest. He felt safe. "Another one," he said to the bartender.

The bartender shook his head. "Nope, Kominato-san. You're way too drunk."

"Escusee me? I am not the least bit drunkuh. I have… no idea what you're talkiiing about."

"Yep, you're totally wasted. Why do you always come here to drink in the first place? You've never done this before."

Ryosuke exhaled as he massaged his temple. "I'm fruuuuustrated," he slurred. "Youichi… getting on my nerves."

The male leaned his elbow on the marble counter, interested in what his frequent customer had to say. "I'd like to know what's going on, if you don't mind."

"You give me shot, I give you story."

The bartender rolled his eyes, inevitably pouring a shot of Heaven into Ryosuke's glass.

Ryosuke swirled it around before blurting out his true feelings. When he was drunk, the worst thing about him was his mouth. He would say anything he truly felt like saying, which usually got him in trouble afterwards. "Sooooo, like, he's been such an assss lately. I didn't even d-do anything wrong; he did. How can you leave meeee for two yearss to take care of someone's baby?"

"Who was that person?"

"Our kohai from highschool. Some shit happened and Youichiiiii ended up staying with him? Shiiiit, did he like him or something? If he did, he should have married hiiim instead!"

"That's not a nice thing to say, Kominato-san."

"Am I lying, though?" Ryosuke's grip on the glass tightened, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "It hurts, honestly. I want to forgive him. I really do, but… it's harrrrd. I don't want him to leave again. In the past, I used tooooo think I burdened him because I couldn't give him a child. He always tells me that it's fine, but it's not. He really wants one… so I guess everything's my fault. Haha." He swirled the glass once more and drank it. The sting was there, alright.

The bartender nodded. "I feel ya. It's not easy forgiving someone, but I hope you do. You should treasure this Youichi character. Not everyone can handle your attitude."

"Funny." The pinkette took some bills out of his wallet and placed it on the counter. "I should go now. Keep the change."

"Be careful on your way out and don't bump into anything."

"I'll be fiiine."

* * *

 _11:56 pm_

"Thank you for your service!"

Kuramochi inspected his bag of groceries as he exited the supermarket. Ryosuke hadn't come home yet, so the least he could do was cook him something for a late night meal. Standing at the crosswalk, he was about to walk until a woman's shout caught his attention. Dropping his bag, he ran to his left and entered an alley. "What the hell are you doing to her?!" he shouted.

A man snickered, kicking the woman on the ground. "Ain't none of your business," he said. "Why don't you run along and–"

"Hell no!" Kuramochi rolled up his sleeves and dashed over to the man. Ignoring the height difference, he grabbed him by the collar, kicked his legs and tackled him to the ground, pressing his arm behind his back. "Don't hurt women like that, you bastard! What did your mom teach you?" He pressed his arm harder.

The woman slowly got up and bowed at the former shortstop, scampering away. "T-Thank you!"

The former shortstop welcomed her and brought his attention back to his victim. "I ain't letting you go, you know that right?! You're gonna apologize!"

The man did not seem fazed at all. In fact, he was smiling. "You might wanna get off of me, kid."

"What's so _fucking_ funny? Wipe that smile off your face before I do it for you!"

"Do you really think I'm the only one here?"

"Eh?"

Kuramochi gasped in agony as he felt something long and sharp pierce through his stomach. Looking down, his eyes widened at the sight of blood trailing down his shirt. "What the…" He held in his cries of pain, feeling the same sensation of a knife piercing through different parts of his body, mostly his stomach and thighs. Spurts of laughter echoed from behind him. _'These… b-bastards… wish I had my gun…'_

By the time the men left, Kuramochi realized that he was practically half dead. He was on his hands and knees, panting heavily. He held his stomach with one hand, cringing at the amount of blood pooling beneath him. He couldn't move his limbs. His body was burning. Each breath he took was rugged and short, and his vision was fading. _'Am I… really gonna… leave this way? I can't leave… Ryo like this… I need to apologize even m-more… man, I suck balls…'_

Running out of breath, Kuramochi's eyes shut and he fell to the ground with a thud.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Barely Breathing

* * *

Ryosuke rose a brow as he circled around the house, opening all the doors and peeking his head inside the rooms. Sighing, he sat down on the stool near the kitchen counter and massaged his forehead to calm the appending hangover. _'Where's Youichi?'_ he thought. _'He's not the type to go out this late at night. I'm pretty sure he didn't go to a club either.'_

Another sigh escaping his lips, he removed his coat and laid his head on the counter, eventually falling asleep. _'He'll come back… not like I care.'_

* * *

"Go, go, go!" The nurses yelled as they pushed a gurney outside an ambulance and rushed inside the emergency entrance of the hospital, speeding past other patients and staff.

"What's the matter?" A doctor asked as he rushed alongside the nurses.

"He was found with multiple stab wounds to the stomach and thighs," one responded. "Hopefully he can still make it. He's not breathing."

Entering a room, they hoisted Kuramochi onto the bed, changed him into a hospital gown and immediately hooked him to all sorts of machines and wires. An oxygen mask was placed on his face.

The doctor stretched on a pair of gloves and gathered some alcohol pads, disinfectant, cotton balls, thread and a needle. "First, we need to clean and patch up his wounds. We need to do it fast before he's gone for real. He doesn't have much time."

The nurses nodded as they hovered over Kuramochi and went straight to work.

Meanwhile, the woman that had been saved by Kuramochi in the alley was sitting in the waiting room, her teeth chattering. _'This is all my fault… that person's going t-to die because of me… I should go–'_

"Um, excuse me ma'am," the person at the front desk said.

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you know the man that just came in with the wounds?"

"Uh, n-not really. I came back to w-where I first met him and he was on the g-ground. There was blood s-so I called the ambulance."

"Ah, that's unfortunate. We could've called his family members or significant other to tell them what happened."

Frantically, the woman searched in her purse and pulled out a green smartphone, waving it in the air. "Uh, I found his phone nearby. Maybe we could try?"

* * *

Eijun groaned as he made his way downstairs to make a glass of warm milk. Apparently, sleep didn't want to accompany him today so he was wide awake while Miyuki was knocked out in bed.

Grabbing a carton of milk, the brunette jolted as he heard Miyuki's phone ring from the living room. Sneaking his way towards it, he picked it up and looked at the number. "Huh? I don't know this number! Who dares to call my precious husband at this time of the night? It better not be one of his female co-workers or they're gonna learn today!" Sliding the answer button, he put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Sorry for c-calling at this time, but is this Miyuki Kazuya-san?"

Eijun's mouth went slack. _'IT'S A GIRL! I WAS RIGHT! OOH, IT'S OVER FOR KAZUYA WHEN HE WAKES UP!'_ He took a deep breath and faked a very masculine voice. "No, he's sleeping. This is his lovely and sexually appealing soulmate, Sawamura. May I help you?"

"Uh, yes. Um, his friend, Kuramochi-san just came to the hospital. He got stabbed lots of times trying to fight off some thugs and he's in a critical condition."

"Be right there." An ominous mood hung over Eijun as he ended the call, putting the phone back down on the table. He suddenly felt soulless, his pupils dilating. "Mochi-senpai… is…"

He ran up to the bedroom and pounced on Miyuki, shaking him violently. "Kazuya, Kazuya, Kazuya!"

Miyuki gasped as his eyes flew open in shock, his dream dancing out the window. "What?! What the hell, Eijun?! Do you have any idea what time it is? I understand that you want round five, but I'm tired~"

"Now's not the time for jokes, Kazuya! We need to get to the hospital, like asap."

"Wait, why?"

"It's Mochi-senpai… he might not make it."

* * *

 _20 minutes later_

The woman stood as Miyuki and Eijun burst through the automatic doors, looks of worry evident on their faces. "Which one of you is Miyuki?"

The bespectacled male rose his hand. "That'll be me."

"Oh… so the l-lovely and sexually appealing soulmate must be you." She pointed at Eijun with a slight smile.

Miyuki sweat-dropped. "Eijun, what on Earth did you tell her? That's too much info." He rolled his eyes at his spouse's wink. "Anyway, where's Kuramochi?"

"In room 401," the person behind the desk noted. "You can't go inside since they're doing intensive operations on him, but being here is enough support. Would you mind signing your name here?"

As Miyuki filled out a form, the brunette cocked his head as he looked around the room. "Wait, where's Harucchi's brother? Shouldn't he be here?"

The woman showed him the glorified contact on Kuramochi's phone. "Is this the person you're talking about?"

"YES! WHY ISN'T HE HERE? DID YA TRY CALLING HIM?!"

"P-Please lower your voice. I tried, but the person didn't answer. It makes sense since it's midnight."

"But Harucchi's brother would never sleep through Mochi-senpai's calls… oh, yeah. I forgot. They're not on very good terms."

"Oh… that's not good."

"Exactly!" Eijun slapped his cheeks as he stood up from his seat, determination glinting in his eyes. "That's it! I'm going to his house and dragging him here! Force will be applied if necessary."

Miyuki laughed. "Be careful. Don't get kidnapped by a stranger or lose your way."

Eijun stuck out his tongue. "Shut it, Bakazuya! Your lovely and sexually appealing soulmate will succeed!" He ran out.

The woman stared in awe. _'Wow… those two sure lighten the mood. It's almost as if no one's dying at the moment. I'm glad Kuramochi-san has friends like these.'_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Neglect

* * *

Eijun could feel his chest begin to rise and fall heavily in frustration. He huffed for the umpteenth time and banged on the front door of Kuramochi's house with vigor. He was certain the hinges would've fallen off by now, and so would his limbs if Kuramochi found out.

Still no response.

Eijun scratched his head, his foot anxiously tapping against the welcome mat. "Oi, Harucchi's brother! I know you're probably sleeping right now, but can you, like, get up! There's an emergency! Hello?! I know you can hear me!"

The sound of not even a window opening disturbed the brunette even more. He wouldn't give up just yet. Knowing that Ryosuke and Kuramochi weren't on good terms made him run through some second thoughts, but if they were too stubborn to get back together… he would do it for them. He was known for sticking his nose in people's business and this time, it would be for the greater good.

Maneuvering around the house, Eijun found a window that was slightly ajar on the first story. Doing a couple of stretches, he hoisted himself up to the window and opened it a bit more to the point where he could actually fit. Swinging his leg over the sill, he slipped his way inside and landed on the ground in the form of a handstand. Uncomfortable with the blood rushing to his head, the former pitcher fell on his back and silently let out a cry of pain.

Looking around, Eijun spotted Ryosuke in the kitchen with his head down on the counter, his cheeks a deep red. He walked over to him and shook him on the shoulder lightly, afraid that any harder might result in an early death sentence. Wait, he already had one. Funny.

Ryosuke only groaned, his brows narrowing. "Mmmmmm!"

The brunette shook again with a bit more oomph, his throat drying at the thought of being snapped at. "Come on, wake up. You can do it~"

It was then that the strong but sweet scent of booze wafted to his nose. _'Wait, is he drunk? Well… THEN THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE TO BE SLEEPING! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!'_ Cracking his knuckles, the brunette wrapped his fingers around Ryosuke's shirt and yanked him back and forth, his head bobbing in all directions. "NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO BE DRUNK! WAKE UP! MOCHI-SENPAI NEEDS YOU! GET UP! RISE AND SHINE!"

Ryosuke moaned as he slowly came to his senses. "Can you freaking stop?!"

Eijun let the pinkette go and placed his hands at his sides. "Harucchi's brother! How can you be drunk at a time like this?! The smell of alcohol is all over you!"

Still drowsy, Ryosuke rubbed his forehead as the hangover hit him without warning. "Freaking head hurts… and… what do you mean… I can be drunk whenever…"

'Kazuya told me that water was good for hangovers!' The former pitcher ravaged the fridge for multiple bottles of water and dumped them onto the counter. Unscrewing the cap of one, he handed it to the older male. "Drink!"

"Excuse me?"

"Uh… would you mind drinking this?" _'He's still scary~!'_

Ryosuke gave him a look of suspicion before snatching the bottle away from him. He took several sips and put it back down. "Why… are you here? How did you… even get in?"

"It's Mochi-senpai!"

"So? What about him?"

Eijun felt the words he wanted to say dance at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Would Ryosuke even care? Would he just brush it off and tell him to go away? The chances of his assumptions coming true was high, but he wasn't going to let that happen. As he said before, force will be applied if needed. Exhaling, looked at Ryosuke sternly. "Mochi-senpai's in the hospital. We need to go there. No… _you_ need to go there."

* * *

Miyuki looked at the time on his phone. _'It's almost one. Did he get lost or something? Don't tell me he collapsed.'_

The woman, apparently named Mirai, gasped as she accidentally caught a glimpse of the bespectacled male's lock screen. Her face turned florid as the image of Eijun laying on a bed completely naked with a lewd expression and legs wide open replayed in her mind. _'E-Eh? What was that?!'_

Miyuki noticed the sudden change in the woman's body language and smirked. "Like what you saw?"

"Wh-What?!"

"It's alright. No need to deny how sexy he is. I wonder where he is, though."

Mirai nodded, fiddling with stray locks of hair. "Y-Yeah…"

"I have a question I would like you to answer, if you don't mind."

 _'Oh, please don't be about your friend! Sure this is my fault this happened, but I don't want to take responsibility!'_

Miyuki flipped his phone in his hands as he pondered how to word his inquiry. "So. If someone you loved was to hide something that seemed serious and they wouldn't tell you about it, what would you do?"

Mirai relaxed as the question sunk in. Giving it some thought she came up with an answer. "Well, if you love them you should keep asking about it. Of course, they may get uncomfortable and annoyed, but it just shows how much you care. Create a calm atmosphere and ask them like it's a normal question. Show them that you're worried and that you're not willing to let go until they answer. If they don't at least tell you why, it might be an issue of trust."

Miyuki let out a chuckle. "For such a fidgety person, you sure seem to know a lot about this stuff."

"I'm a therapist. I like to hear about people's situations and give them meaningful advice. I hope it helped…"

"It helped plenty. Thanks."

"N-No problem."

As soon as the conversation ended, Eijun walked through the automatic doors with Ryosuke latching onto him. "The wife is here!" he shouted energetically.

Miyuki covered his ears. "Babe, it's too early to be yelling like that."

"Whatever!"

Ryosuke sighed. "I can stand on my own." He placed his hand on the wall and made his way to the receptionist. "What room is Youichi in? Hurry up." _'This freaking alcohol.'_

"401," the receptionist said. She stuttered as the pinkette turned and wobbled down the hall. "W-Wait, you can't go inside!"

Ryosuke scoffed. "You can't tell me what to do. I need to see him." His heartbeat quickened as he slowly approached the designated room where he could hear multiple voices chatting at once and the sounds of metal tinkling. _'What am I even doing here? It's not like I care about him or anything.'_

Standing in the doorway of room 401, he rose a brow as the doctor removed his gloves and sat down on a stool, sighing. "Um, excuse you? Why the hell are you just sitting there? Don't you have someone to be fixing?"

The doctor looked up and shook his head. "Who may you be? No one's allowed in here yet–"

"I'm someone who's somewhat important to that patient."

"Oh…"

"What? What?!"

"Kuramochi-san didn't make it."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Don't Bring Me Down

* * *

 _"Everyone's telling me I'm crazy for dating you, Ryo-san," Kuramochi said as he sat on the school roof. He unwrapped his melon bread and took a vicious bite from it._

 _Ryosuke crouched down next to him, his lips curled. "Oh, really? Please elaborate."_

 _"They all said that you're psycho and sadistic and just plain terrifying. Well… that's very true–"_

 _" **Very** true?"_

 _"Kinda true, but there's that nice and calm side of you that attracted me."_

 _Ryosuke broke off a piece of Kuramochi's melon bread, holding it between his thumb and index finger. "If that was an attempt at flattering me, you succeeded. I appreciate your words."_

 _Kuramochi grinned. Deep down he knew that his boyfriend was simple to please if you just used the right phrasing. Though sometimes he would dismiss it and make you feel like a complete idiot. Shaking out of his thoughts, he cleared his throat. "Hey, Ryo-san. What would you do if I said I wanted to marry you?"_

 _Ryosuke felt his cheeks heat up and he coughed, turning his head away from his partner. "I'd have no reason to refuse, idiot. You're something special."_

 _"Hyahaha!" The green haired male grabbed the pinkette by the arm and pulled him onto his lap. "Then in a few years from now, we are **so** going to get married, live in a big house and have lots of children!"_

 _"Those are some pretty big dreams you got there. How are you sure we'll even make it to that point?"_

 _The shortstop leaned down and brushed his lips against Ryosuke's, humming. "Because I have you, duh!"_

 _Nodding, Ryosuke pushed him away and finally chewed the piece of melon bread he had been holding onto since the beginning. "Alright, we'll see. If we don't make it, I'll kill you. Understand?"_

* * *

 _'Now's it's all gone,'_ Ryosuke thought as he stood in front of Kuramochi's body on the hospital bed, his fists clenching his sweatpants. _'This is all my fault. He's gone because I was jealous of something trivial. I feel extremely guilty now and there's nothing I can do to make up for it. He apologized numerous times, but I still rejected him because I was blinded with loneliness. Saying sorry wouldn't even… amount to the pain he must be feeling. I'm terrible…'_

At the doorway, Miyuki and Eijun made eye contact as Ryosuke slowly began to break down, his body shivering as tears slipped from his eyes. Light sobs filled the silent room, instilling a heavy curtain of sorrow. _'We should leave him alone. He needs a moment to himself.'_

Eijun was the first to speak. "Uh, Harucchi's brother… we'll l-leave now. Just know that we'll be praying for you."

"Mmm," Ryosuke choked.

With that, Eijun and Miyuki left the room and headed back to the entrance near the waiting room. The woman was still sitting there, fidgety as ever.

"You're not gonna go home?" Miyuki asked, signing out at the reception desk.

Mirai nodded. "I feel like I should stay for a while longer." _'I said I wouldn't take responsibility! Why am I still here?!'_

The bespectacled male shook his head. "Young women like you shouldn't stay up too late, it's not good for your skin–"

A vein popping on his forehead, Eijun latched onto Miyuki and dragged him to the door. "Stop flirting with her and let's go! We left Kazujun all alone, remember?!" He shot a dark look at Mirai. "If I see you near my sexy husband, you'll get it!"

Miyuki sweat-dropped. "I wasn't flirting, baka! It's called being caring!"

"You can be caring in non-suspicious ways! Now let's go!"

Mirai chuckled. _'They're always loud.'_

* * *

Eijun crossed his arms as they made their way down the hill from the hospital. An occasional breeze passed by, rustling the leaves on the trees. "I can't believe you were flirting! Right in front of my face, too!"

Miyuki scratched the back of his neck, slightly perturbed. "Listen babe, I was just being nice! Want me to go back there and ask for her number?"

" _Hell_ no!"

"Alright then!"

The brunette huffed, pouting. "Not my fault your words can have different connotations."

"That's nice terminology; where'd you learn that?"

"I had the same college education as you did, Kazuya!"

"Wasn't sure if you'd be able to actually remember everything that you learned, anyway. All the times we had to do late night study sessions because you slept during class!"

"How'd you know?!"

"Your professor told me on the low."

"Damn you~"

Miyuki revealed his infamous shit-eating grin as he ruffled Eijun's hair, happily digesting his victory in the argument. "I feel so nostalgic right now. College days with you were the best."

Eijun rolled his eyes, hooking his arm around Miyuki's. "No, they weren't! Once I graduated Seido and went to go find my dorm on campus, I screamed because you were my roommate! You treated me like a slave!"

The bespectacled male rose a brow. "Really? Hmm, I don't remember anything of the sort."

"KAZUYA!"

"Calm down, calm down!" _'Oh… that's right. I understand now. Everyone used to call the both of us twisted. Something tragic would happen and we'd act like we were fine. We'd make jokes and lighten up the mood, but deep inside we were just as depressed as they were. We'd try not to let the negative emotions consume us, but after a while it'd strike us hard. So hard no one would see our faces for the next couple of days. It's sick, honestly. But we can't help it. I really do feel bad for Kuramochi… I hope he gets to rest in peace.'_

Eijun blinked, sensing a change in his husband's demeanor. "Kazuya? Everything alright?"

Miyuki offered him a genuine smile. "Yeah. Now let's get home before Kazujun starts freaking out."

"Alright. If you say so." _'Mochi-senpai, why'd you have to leave first? I was supposed to go soon. Now I have to meet you in Heaven and apologize for being an idiot.'_ He grimaced at the sudden salty taste of blood bubbling in his throat, begging to be released. He had secretly vomited blood on his way to get Ryosuke and at the moment, he wasn't feeling quite good. A little light headedness but he was sure it would go away if he took his pills. _'I don't want to die yet… I can't… I have to take care of Kazujun and watch him grow._ '

* * *

A nurse walked inside the room holding a clipboard to her chest. "Um, Kominato-san? I know this is strange, but it's sort of past visiting hours."

"I'm not moving," Ryosuke responded sharply. He laid his head on Kuramochi's chest, his fingers combing through his hair. "Your best chances of getting me out is if you drag me or call the police. I am _not_ leaving."

The nurse sighed. "We have to abide by the rules~"

"Did you not just hear what I said? I'm _not_ leaving. Would you mind giving me some privacy?"

The nurse, deciding that it was best not to fight a losing battle, nodded and left. "There are water bottles in the hallway if you need any."

Ryosuke sucked his teeth and focused on his fingers running through the green strands of Kuramochi's hair. Oh, how he wished to apply gel and style it for him again. How he wished to dry it with a towel when Kuramochi came back home on a rainy day again. How he wished to purposely bury his nose in his hair and slyly compliment on how lovely it smelled again.

The pinkette now realized all of that was gone. He didn't know how Kuramochi ended up this way, but he had a feeling that it was fault. Maybe if he was at home instead of drinking… his husband would still be with him. Breathing the same air as him. Sharing the same bed as him. Living with him.

Deep inside, he disliked that they had argued. Accepting Kuramochi's apology was a difficult thing to do because of his stubbornness. Of course he'd been lonely for two years, but it wasn't worth fighting over. Now it was too late to say sorry. The opportunity to utter such simple words were gone like the inability to express his emotions.

He was a blubbering mess, tears constantly dripping down his face and onto Kuramochi's chest, his nose and cheeks red. His heart felt heavy for the first time in his life and it was painful. Sorrowful. Detrimental. Sniffing, he moved his hand lower and intertwined his fingers with Kuramochi's, more tears welling up as he saw that the latter still wore his wedding ring.

 _'It's this bad,'_ Ryosuke thought, his eyes burning. _'I never thought I'd miss him this bad… what did I do to myself? What did I do to us? Why did I even think drinking and ignoring him was a good idea? Why?'_

Swallowing nothing but air through the tightness in his throat, the pinkette slowly shook his head. "Youichi, I know it's too late… but I accept your apology. I'm also truly sorry about everything I said to you. I was troubled at the time; I didn't know what to believe. I know I'm not the best partner at times and that I tend to ruin things… but you still loved me unconditionally. It was my fault this happened… I'll take any punishment I deserve. As long as you'll forgive me… I'll be fine. I'm sorry."

Two minutes passed.

"What was I expecting? Not like he was going to resp–"

 _Beep… Beep… Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Ryosuke's eyes widened as he tilted his head and peered at the heart monitor. The lines were no longer flat; instead they began to move up and across the screen. The numbers on the side increased also.

The pinkette was bewildered. He averted his eyes back to Kuramochi's hand which was rapidly regaining color. His index finger twitched. "Don't tell me…"

Ryosuke released a fresh batch of tears as he looked up at Kuramochi's face and saw his eyes flutter, then slowly open. Glazed eyes robotically stared at him, a small smile appearing on the green haired male's face. "R-Ryo… I was… waiting f-for you… to say that…"

"Youichi…?"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Won't Hurt to Try Again

* * *

Ryosuke felt his whole world flip upside down as Kuramochi blankly stared at him. He couldn't believe his eyes. The man presumed to be dead was looking right at him, eyes watery and lips dry. The man was breathing, chest rising shakily before settling back down. His skin had color; all the features of a human that was alive. Alive.

 _Alive_.

Kuramochi laughed hoarsely, pain shooting up in his stomach. "Ryo… w-what's wrong?"

Ryosuke exhaled in complete relief, his sorrow immediately dissipating into thin air. "I'm _so_ happy right now."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? You're alive! I thought you died!"

The green haired male laughed again. He lifted his hand and intertwined his fingers with Ryosuke's, smiling. "S-So you do… care. Little l-liar."

The pinkette rolled his eyes. "Didn't you hear my apology?"

"W-What apolo…gy?"

"Nothing."

"C-Come on."

"I'm pretty sure you heard it; I'm not saying it again."

"S-Stingy. Give me… a kiss."

Ryosuke chuckled lightly as he leaned closer and pecked Kuramochi on the lips. "Just be glad that I actually worry and _care_ about your existence." Turning around, he ran out the door to call the doctor.

* * *

 _Nine Hours Later - 9:47 am_

Eijun dropped his spatula in excitement as he heard the news from Ryosuke on the phone. "REALLY?! OH, MY GOD! NO, I WON'T STOP SCREAMING! THAT'S SUPER AWESOME! ALRIGHT! BYE!"

Miyuki jumped as Eijun suddenly hugged him from behind, almost spilling his coffee. "Watch it! What's got you all pumped up this morning?"

The brunette beamed. "Mochi-senpai is alive!"

"Wow, that's some really great news. I thought he was gone for good."

"He was, but then he woke up half an hour later!"

Miyuki took a sip of his coffee, nodding. "I couldn't bare the thought of losing him. Just imagine how much it'd hurt to lose you."

Eijun's cheeriness plummeted as the weighty phrase hung in the air above him, the atmosphere tensing. He removed his arms from his husband's waist and slowly backed up, palms sweaty. "Kazuya…"

The bespectacled male turned to face him as he placed his cup of coffee on the kitchen counter. "Eijun, _baby_ ", he pleaded desperately. "There is _definitely_ something you're hiding from me. Please, I'm here for you–"

"Kazuya."

"You _know_ I dislike it when you keep stuff from me and it makes me crazy–"

"Stop, Kazuya."

"I love you more than anything and hiding something that seems so important is utterly ridiculous–"

"KAZUYA!" Eijun screamed finally, fed up with the emotionally poisonous words that flowed from the older male's mouth. But he was right. He was hiding something. A horrendous secret that could end his life at any minute, any second. He couldn't tell anyone or else the burden of guilt would be too heavy to handle. Little by little, a piece of him disappeared from the world and it was only a matter of time until he would be gone.

 _Forever_.

Until then he would keep quiet and live the rest of his life silently, crumbling away into the abyss.

Gathering the courage to speak, the brunette opened his mouth, feeling Miyuki's intense gaze on him. "There's absolutely nothing to worry about, babe. How many times am I going to tell you this?"

Miyuki frowned. "Cut the sweet talk. Don't try fooling me. It won't work."

"I'm not!"

"Then why are you being so defensive?"

"Cause it's getting annoying! Damn, you're pestering me!"

"So you're saying _I'm_ getting annoying?"

Eijun blinked in confusion. "What? No!"

Shrugging, Miyuki grabbed his briefcase from the floor and hugged his coffee in the crook of his elbow. "No, that's totally cool. _I'm_ getting annoying? Wow, that's something I never heard in my life. _I'm_ trying to show concern about _you_ and _you_ think it's _annoying_? What, should I just piss off and leave you alone? Is that what you want? To have a caring husband who doesn't love you?

Eijun could feel the sting of tears burning in the back of his eyes, his heart racing. "Kazuya, I never said that…"

"I won't be coming home early tonight. Matter of fact, I'll be staying at the office until I feel like coming home from work. Now I'm freaking pissed." Miyuki cursed in irritation as he walked to the entrance, donned his dress shoes and opened the front door, slamming it shut behind him.

* * *

 _1:19 pm_

"I don't think… I'm ever going to get used to this thing," Kuramochi muttered, scratching his cheek.

Ryosuke smirked. "Oh, you'll be just fine. I'll be holding onto the bars… and don't worry, I have your phone." _'That woman back there was awfully apologetic about what happened. At least she told the truth.'_

The green haired male whined as he came to the realization that he was wheelchair bound for who knows how long. The doctor had stated that his legs were entirely numb and useless from the stabbing, so riding in a wheelchair was his only option for movement. His legs would eventually heal and come back to life, but for now he was doomed. He admired his legs for their speed, and being unable to use them made him feel frustrated. Embarrassed. How could he let this happen to him?

Ryosuke sensed the doubt fuming from his partner and his smirk grew inevitably wider. "How do you like your new set of wheels, speed-master?"

Kuramochi scoffed. "Real funny, Ryo. It feels like my legs aren't even there! I can't deal with this!"

"Poor thing, what on Earth are you talking about? This is way better than the two sports cars you own. Now you don't have to fill up on gas all the time. We'll save more money."

"I'd prefer my cars over this _shit_ any day!" The former shortstop groaned as he hooked his fingers around the wheels of his wheelchair and pushed forward. Inch by inch he slowly got the hang of pushing, but occasionally his hands slipped off the wheels, discouraging him.

Ryosuke gripped onto the handle bars behind him, grinning. "You'll be fine, Youichi. I'm here to guide you. Not like I'm going to let go of the bars and let you roll off or anything."

"That's _dead_ something you would do! Please take those words back!"

"Hmm, I'll sleep on that thought. Anyway, I have a question."

"Sup?"

"Why are you suddenly so optimistic about everything? If I were you, I'd be a tad depressed knowing that I was stuck to a wheelchair after being on the brink of death."

Thinking to himself, Kuramochi deeply considered the question. He was feeling a little under the weather, but a certain experience he had made him feel hopeful. Extremely hopeful. "Ryo," he began. "When I was… dead, let's say, I had a dream. A wonderful dream. So I was in this place in the sky with lots of puffy clouds and bright sunlight shining everywhere. It was beautiful. Then a bunch of children, boys and girls, ran up to me smiling and called me "Dad". You were right behind them with two more kids in your arms. Then it vanished when a flight of stairs showed up. It resembled the one in our house. That's… all I remember. Ryo, I think this _means_ something."

Ryosuke gulped, the collar of his shirt lining with sweat. "Dreams are just dreams, Youichi," he reasoned without much confidence. "You shouldn't dwell on it so much."

Kuramochi turned his head and cackled. "Hyaha! Ryo, this _means_ we're going to have _children_! _Children_! There's no other explanation for that dream! I've never seen that before! That dream has some sort of meaning to it and I'm pretty sure it means that we'll be having kids! Like, come on! Bright skies and light? Kids surrounding me? You _have_ to believe me! This is a sign!"

The pinkette sighed. "So… you're implying that we should try again? After all those times we tried and failed, we should do it again?"

Kuramochi nodded eagerly, maneuvering his chair onto the sidewalk that lead to his house. "Most definitely! It wouldn't hurt to try again!"

"B-But what if it doesn't work out? What if your dream didn't really mean anything special? It'll all be for naught then."

"Stop being so pessimistic! We'll get through this together! Put your trust in me for once! Honey, we can _do_ this!"

Ryosuke ruffled Kuramochi's hair as he fished out his keys and opened the door to their house, pushing his spouse inside. "Fine. Once your legs heal, we'll have sex and see what happens. And don't call me honey."

"Hyaha! I love it when you say sex so bluntly."

 _'But I don't understand. What does our staircase have to do with this dream?'_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Rehab

* * *

Miyuki sighed as he entered his co-worker's office and dropped a stack of files on his desk. "Here you go," he drawled.

His co-worker, by the name of Yugo, rose a brow at the bespectacled male's evident moodiness. "What's the problem?" he asked cheerfully, sifting through the stack of files. "You normally seem energetic in the mornings."

Miyuki leaned against the wall, arms crossed, as he reminisced his quarrel with Eijun. "Nothing much," he murmured.

"Let me guess… you had a fight with your spouse again?"

"Guess the cat's out the bag."

Yugo chuckled, rolling around in his chair. "Miyuki-san, if he doesn't want to tell you, just let him be. It's best if you let him have time to himself and think things over. He'll tell you when he's ready–"

Miyuki shoved his hands in his coat pocket, exhaling softly. "But I just want to know if he's alright," he pressed. "I _know_ there's something wrong with him and I want to protect him. I want to show that I _love_ him… it's like he wants us to go back to our old ways."

"Old ways?" Yugo questioned. "What happened?"

"It's a long story. A horrendous one, at that. I don't ever want to go back to those days where I made him suffer and cry endlessly… he's avoiding me and it's… making me second guess our relationship."

Yugo sucked in air through his teeth, humming. "I'm gonna stop you right there, dude. That sounds pretty dark, but you need to be patient with him. Don't you _dare_ think about doing anything that will hurt him again. You might lose him."

Miyuki smiled bitterly as he headed out of the office, dragging his feet across the marble floor. _'Ha… sucks to know that I probably already lost him…'_

* * *

Eijun trembled as he sat near the bedroom window, welcoming the scent of Fall through his nostrils. He stared at a leaf that flew off a branch and tumbled onto the windowsill. He attempted to hold it between his fingers, but the stem immediately broke off and twirled into the air.

 _'I'm just like this leaf,'_ the brunette thought, pulling his shins to his chest. He bit on his bottom lip hard as he finally allowed the tears he'd been holding back for so long to trickle down his cheeks, wetting several spots on his gray shirt. _'I'm broken beyond repair… I don't think I can do this anymore… I can't explain myself to Kazuya and that's making him mad… are the pills even working? This is driving me insane. I don't… freaking want to die. I can't leave everyone behind like this. How much time do I have l-left? Where did this… disease come from in the first place? What did I do to deserve this…'_

Suddenly, Eijun's ears twitched at the dull sound of something hitting the window. A rock?

Leaning out the window, the former pitcher felt a sense of relief wash over him as he spotted Yamato standing proudly on the sidewalk. "What are you doing here?!" he managed to shout.

Yamato grinned. "Are you feeling better?!"

"I think so…"

"Get dressed! We're going out!"

Eijun sweat-dropped as he remembered that Yamato had promised to take him out a few weeks ago. But he wasn't feeling better, not in the slightest. The violent urge to vomit blood was still churning in his stomach, his movements were sluggish, and what about Miyuki? How would he react if he found out that his spouse had went out with some "random stranger"?

Considering the serious consequences of going out during such an unstable moment in his life, Eijun closed his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry!" he yelled. "I don't feel like going out! I have a lot on my mind…"

Yamato cocked his head. "Oh… well, would you mind if I heard you out?" _'In simple terms, I just want to spend some time with you.'_

* * *

Ryosuke panted as sweat suddenly dripped down from his neck and forehead, causing him to shiver. His throat was itching, _desperate_ for the sweet and strong taste of alcohol, but he restrained himself. He couldn't bear with the taxing withdrawal, even though it had only been a few days since he stopped. Hallucinations about alcohol and getting drunk often occurred, seducing him to just open a bottle. To just take a quick swig and rejoice at the feeling of personal satisfaction, but he forced it away.

"I need to try for Youichi," Ryosuke told himself, wiping off beads of sweat with the hem of his shirt. He grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down, frowning at how… _normal_ it tasted. There was no sting in his throat and the ecstasy that alcohol usually provided, but he needed to follow through with his resolve.

Setting the glass down, Ryosuke turned to stare at Kuramochi who was struggling to reach the remote control of his PlayStation, grunting as he bent down as far as he possibly could with his handicap. Feeling the pinkette's gaze on him, he looked up and smiled weakly. "Don't mind me, Ryo. I'm getting the hang of–"

"Youichi."

"Mhm?"

"I'll be trying my best. Getting rid of my alcohol addiction sounds easier than it actually seems, but I'll do it for you. We need to work together and… have children."

Kuramochi's jaw dropped. "So you believe in my dream?!"

Ryosuke scoffed. "Never said that. There's still something that bugs me about your dream… the stairs part."

The green haired male waved his hand in the air, dismissing his partner's statement. "Ah, don't worry 'bout that. It probably doesn't have anything important to do with it. Stop worrying."

"What if something happens-"

"Ryo! I understand; you're nervous. I'm a little on edge too, but I don't think you should be _that_ concerned. It'll be alright… your strong husband is here to support you."

Sucking his teeth, Ryosuke slowly walked over to Kuramochi and cupped his cheeks in his hands, pressing their foreheads together. "Alright, but listen," he whispered. "Don't you _ever_ make yourself sound more superior than me again. Got that?"

Kuramochi traced the outline of Ryosuke's lips with his index finger before kissing them softly, pulling his body closer. "Let me be dominant for once. Besides, there'll soon be more than one person calling me daddy in this house."

The pinkette felt his skin heat up as the kiss deepened, slightly tugging on Kuramochi's hair. "I'll freaking kick you in the leg."

"Hyaha! Nice try, but I won't even feel it."

"Damn it."

* * *

 _10:11 pm_

Yamato tensed as the words "husband" and "child" threaded into his ears. Believing that Eijun was single had been a reoccurring fantasy of his, but he knew that the truth would be told one day. "So, you're married?" he asked to clarify.

Eijun firmly nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "Yep. Sorry if that… ruins anything for you. I should've told you sooner, but I didn't want to…"

The black haired male shook his head in false disagreement. "Nah, it's fine. It makes sense. Basically you and your husband had a fight and now he thinks you don't trust him?"

"Exactly! I'm scared to tell him because he might freak out or do something unimaginable! I don't want him to worry about me anymore. We've been through so much in the past and if I bring my situation up, it'll only trigger more conflict. I just want to live in peace."

"Well, you can't make this all disappear. You have to face it head on, even if it's tremendously stressful or tiring. Being able to give birth was proof that you're strong, so I'm pretty sure you can do this too."

Eijun yawned as the lull of sleep coaxed his head to fall on Yamato's shoulder. "Thank… you…"

Yamato laughed as the brunette suddenly fell asleep, breathing at a timely pace. Of course, he didn't miss the small spot of blood on the male's chin. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_ he thought, swiping the blood off with his thumb. _'My love interest apparently has a family but he's suffering. What can I even do to help him? I'm just a gangster.'_

Just as he was about to place Eijun's head on the couch and leave silently, the front door clicked.

Eijun didn't wake up.

Yamato's brow furrowed as Miyuki strolled in, tossing his keys onto the coffee table near the door. He put a hand on his hip. "Yo," he said.

Miyuki frowned, making eye contact with the stranger in his house. "Who the hell are…" His voice trailed off as he recognized the leather jacket the male was wearing. "Leather jacket… are you one of Eijun's little friends or something? I don't know who you are, but you better leave."

"Excuse you?"

"No, excuse _you_? You're in _my_ house; you don't have the right to question me or be near Eijun. What are you to him anyway? What are you doing around him?"

Yamato rolled his eyes, walking past Miyuki. "What-fucking-ever, dude. That ain't none of your business, but let me just say somethin'. Just 'cause you wifed him up and put a baby in him don't mean shit, bro. If he ain't ready to tell you his business, don't fucking force it. He's one hell of a nice person and it's gon be stressful for him if you keep, like… askin' and askin'. When he ready to tell you, he gon do it. Until then just lay low and let him build up the courage."

Miyuki clucked his tongue. "You act as if you know him better than I do."

Yamato stuck up the middle finger as he sauntered out of the house. "Who knows? I might… perhaps I know him better than you ever will."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Getting Nowhere

* * *

"Let me guess," Eijun said. "You're still mad at me?"

Miyuki sighed as he rubbed his eyes groggily, fixing his glasses on his face. He turned to Eijun and stared at him inquisitively, running through some thoughts of what to say. He didn't want to hurt him verbally, but he also really wanted to know: was he okay? Was he suffering? Was he ill? He was desperate to find out, but he knew the answers to his questions would have to wait.

He sighed once more, gently placing his hand on Eijun's. "I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. It's too complicated. If you're not ready to tell me what's wrong, don't feel pressured. Don't force yourself. Just be sure that when you're confident… you'll tell me everything. In full detail. Alright?"

Nodding, the brunette smiled as he leaned over and pecked Miyuki on the lips. "Thank you," he whispered. "I promise to tell you when it's time. I don't want you to worry about me, but it's hard. There's a lot going on in my life. I'll be more positive about it!"

"But there _is_ one thing I'm kinda mad about."

"What?"

"You invited the _friend_ with the leather jacket yesterday night after I told you specifically not to. Why was he here?"

As a certain thought popped up in his head, Eijun's smile curled into a grin. "Oh, ho ho. Is someone… jealous?"

Miyuki's neck hair immediately stood up, his mouth wide. "Me? Jealous? Ha, never. Why would _I_ be jealous? That's crazy! I'm never jealous! L-Like, as long as you two aren't doing anything suspicious, I wouldn't be jealous!"

Eijun hummed, his brows rising. " _Sure_ , I'll believe you for now, Jealous Kazuya. Anyway, hurry up and eat your breakfast. You're going on a mini trip with your co-workers, right?"

Miyuki rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his chocolate waffles. "I'm not jealous," he mumbled between his chewing.

Picking up his spoon, Eijun gasped as his hand began to tremble violently, his arm tensing. His fingers left after images, something close to visual vibrations as the oatmeal spilled from his spoon and spattered onto the table. Grunting, he slammed his hand onto the marble surface but it still continued to tremble.

Miyuki's eyes widened as he ran to Eijun's side and held his hand. He rubbed his back in a soothing manner. "Babe!" he shouted, concerned. "Are you okay? The hell's happening?!"

The brunette shook his head as his hand trembled faster. His husband's warmth and the rubs were not helping. He had no idea what was going on with his body, causing his heart to race in fear. "I-I-I-I-I-I don't k-k-k-know," he managed to say through quivering lips. _'Is this another symptom of my d-d-d-disease? Dr. Shimizu didn't t-t-t-tell me about this!'_

The bespectacled male held Eijun's chin and put a glass of water to his lips, slowly pouring the liquid in. He looked at his throat, making sure that the latter fully swallowed so he could pour in another round. _'I don't know what to do,'_ he thought. _'I don't know what my own freaking wife is going through. I don't know what's happening to him and for the first time in my life, I'm freaking the hell out. God, why now? Why Eijun? Why?!'_

Sucking his teeth, Miyuki dropped the glass, tucked his arms under Eijun's legs and hoisted him up. "It's gonna be alright! Just hang tight!" Snatching his keys, he dashed to the front door in a frenzy. "Kazujun! Come!"

The two year old set down his bottle of juice and wobbled after him, completely unaware of the dire situation that was unfolding before his very eyes.

* * *

Sanada ruffled his hair in frustration as he closed the refrigerator door. He walked into the living room, searching through his wallet for a few dollar bills. "Raishun!" he shouted. "Can you go outside for me real quick?"

Raichi whipped his head around. "What? No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. He's not going anywhere."

Sanada rose a brow in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. He's just not going outside. I'll do it for you."

"No, that's fine. Raishun, come."

Raichi rapped his knuckles against the wall, gritting his teeth in nervousness. "I-I said no! He's not going out! It's too dangerous for him! _'I don't know what those guys would do if they saw him by himself… I have to make sure my family is safe… I don't care if I'm the only one they're actually after. No one else is getting involved.'_

From the couch, Raishun looked up at his parents, eyes beginning to water. "Mommy, daddy, don't argue. Just let mommy go outside."

Sanada shook his head. He had come to the conclusion that Raichi had been extremely paranoid for the past few weeks, but he didn't understand why. He would accompany Raishun to school and back, come home with wide eyes filled with alert, and other bizarre antics. He couldn't ignore the frightening possibility that something—or someone—was after his spouse and it drilled into the back of his head, day and night.

 _Ring! Ring!_

Raichi jumped as his phone suddenly rang. Fishing it out of his pocket, he sighed bitterly, sliding the answer button. "W-What now?"

"Awww," the anonymous voice crooned. "Why won't you let your little son go outside? I promise I won't do anything."

"Why are you doing this to me?! Why are you watching us?!"

"Oh, don't raise your voice. You wouldn't want your _petty_ family to be worried about our little… _dilemma_ , right? After all, they care so much about you–"

"Why don't you show yourself?!" Raichi clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white. "You're always talking big and making threats. Why d-don't you do something for once? I'll do anything, if you just STOP threatening to hurt my family!"

Sanada stormed to his side, enraged. "What? Raichi, who the hell are you talking to?!"

Hanging up, Raichi fiercely stared into Sanada's eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're in d-danger," he muttered. "There's something I have to tell you. Raishun, make sure you listen up too."

 _30 minutes later…_

Sanada scoffed incredulously, rolling his eyes. "Someone's after you because of freaking money?"

Raishun clung onto Raichi's arm, visibly afraid. "I don't want mommy to get hurt. Why can't you just give it to them?"

"I _can't_ ," Raichi stressed. "It's Dad's money they want, but they're also threatening me. I don't know what they're going to use it for or where it's going to go. They're watching us and we need to be careful. That's why I don't want Raishun to go outside." He turned to Sanada. "You need to watch your back, too."

Sanada slapped his thighs, getting up. " _You_ need to be the most careful, Raichi. Stop worrying about us and focus on yourself. If you have to go out, be aware of your surroundings and call me if anything seems strange. Alright?"

Raichi gulped as he nodded in confirmation, feeling his husband's intense gaze on him. "G-Got it."

* * *

 _40 minutes later…_

Dr. Shimizu probed her fingers on Eijun's arms, occasionally pausing as she felt each tendon. "Nothing seems out of the ordinary," she stated. She walked over to Miyuki. "How did this all start, like what caused it?"

Miyuki ran a hand through his hair, making brief eye contact with Eijun. "He just picked up a spoon and then his arm starting trembling like crazy and I didn't know w-what to do, so I brought him here."

"Did you guys recently participate in sexual intercourse?"

"Eh? Uh… yeah."

Dr. Shimizu pursed her lips tightly as a burst of anger surged through her veins. She managed a smile and gestured towards the door. "Miyuki-san, I'm pretty sure you have someplace to be right now. You've done enough, so please exit the room. You can leave him to me."

Miyuki pouted. "Are you sure he'll be okay?"

"Yes."

The bespectacled male jogged over to Eijun's side on the bed and kissed him on the lips tenderly. "I'm leaving now," he whispered.

As soon as Miyuki left with Kazujun in tow, Dr. Shimizu slammed the door shut and whirled around on her heel, glaring daggers at Eijun. "What in the _heck_ did I tell you? It's like you _want_ to die!"

Eijun sat up on the bed, pushing the sheets underneath him. He crossed his legs and cocked his head, concealing the fact that Dr. Shimizu's furious tone had sent several chills down his spine. "W-What are you talking about–"

"What was the warning I gave you when I _first_ diagnosed you? Huh?"

"I don't think I… remember."

"I told you to NOT have sexual intercourse! Doing so causes your blood flow to ramp up and your heartbeat to increase! At this point, I don't know what to tell you. All I can say is that you need to bump up your dosage of your Oxychadrin pills to four after you vomit. If you feel the tremors, take them. Even if you feel a little bit sick, take them. I can't have you die earlier than you're supposed to."

Eijun bowed, gripping at his sweatpants in shame. "Dr. Shimizu… I'm sorry! For everything! I'm stupid and I can't help it. My life is so complicated and stressful right now and… you're trying your best to keep me alive. Sometimes I feel like I'm ungrateful of the things I have, ya know? I've been granted this life where I have all the beautiful people I've ever wanted, then I've been cursed with this disease. I'm p-pretty sure I'm gonna d-die anyway, but I wanna make the most out of my life. I'll be more careful. I promise!"

Dr. Shimizu's frown inevitably lifted into a soft smile. She could never stay mad at the brunette for long, especially when he was being sincere. Shoulders relaxed, she strolled to his side and patted him on the back. "As long as you're committed to living your life to its fullest, I'll be there for you. Don't back out on me, though! The Oxychadrin pills I prescribed to you are restricted in the medical field, remember?"

Eijun grinned, revealing his bright white teeth. "Gotcha!"

* * *

Kuramochi grimaced as Ryosuke grabbed his calf and slowly stretched it towards his chest, hearing an audible crack from his knee. After just a day of managing with his wheelchair, he had been noticing a strange tingle in his legs. He could feel the numbness. He could feel the prickle and sting of the stitches. He could feel his legs. Not completely, but he was getting somewhere.

Ryosuke lowered Kuramochi's leg and then held up the other one, repeating the same rigid but relaxing motions. Despite his joy for his husband's progressing recovery, he was still uneasy about having children. The fear of the pregnancy tester reading "not pregnant" haunted him endlessly. His restlessness from his alcohol withdrawal. Both of those thoughts tainted his mind with negativity, but he knew he had to try.

It was far too late to opt out.

Far too late.

Performing the final stretch, Ryosuke eased Kuramochi's leg back to the carpet and stood up straight. "How do they feel?"

Kuramochi shrugged, attempting to wriggle his toes. "Not sure," he said. "I can feel that they're there… but I can't, like, move them around on my own. My best guess is that I'll be able to start using them in a few days." He smirked. "Isn't that great? We have hope."

Ryosuke huffed as he plopped down next to the green haired male on the reclining sofa in their gaming room. "Things are going a bit too smoothly. You're beginning to heal rapidly after all the nonsense that happened and–"

"Again with the doubt? _Please_ , Ryo!"

The pinkette swallowed the sentence he was about to say and thought of a more teasing reply instead, propping his elbow on the arm of the sofa. "Doubt? Oh my, says the one who's worried if his sex game is strong enough in order for me to have children. Based on that, I think you have other things to be concerned about. Am I right?"

Kuramochi sweat-dropped, his jaw slacking. He was used to Ryosuke's witty remarks here and there during the years they spent together, but this one hit home. He gazed at his crotch, sucking his teeth. "You better take that back! We haven't had sex in a while, but I'm certain my dick is still powerful enough to make you scream! Moan, at least!"

"Moan? Please, I hardly ever do that when you're just mindlessly thrusting into me with absolutely no sense of pace and coordination. A real man would grab me by the hips, keep a steady pace, and fuck me in the same direction instead of moving around pointlessly."

Kuramochi gawked, a curtain of instant depression and self hate hanging over his head. "Ryo…"

Ryosuke laughed lightly. "Do not fret, my friend. It still feels somewhat… great, despite your messy style. I honestly think that's the best part about it."

"Really?"

"Would I lie?"

"I mean, yeah. Totally."

An vein popped on Ryosuke's forehead as he leaned over and crawled onto Kuramochi's lap. He gave the latter a light smack on the face and sneered. "Don't talk back to me like that."

The former shortstop wrapped his arms around the pinkette's waist and pulled him closer as he began to kiss up his neck. "Do that again," he whispered huskily.

Ryosuke slapped him again. "Don't talk back to me like th–" His voice abruptly trailed off as Kuramochi bit down on the sensitive patch of skin on his neck, feeling the wetness of his tongue. "Y-Youichi. Stop."

"You're the one who climbed onto my lap. You wanted this." He sucked harder, brushing his tongue along the hickey that was beginning to form. Leaving a trail of saliva and a prominent red mark he pulled back, examining Ryosuke's flushed cheeks. "That's all for today! Hyaha!"

Ryosuke groaned in dissatisfaction, pressing his lips against Kuramochi's. "I want more."

"No~"

"Why not?"

"You'll get everything once my legs heal. From head to toe, you'll get _everything_."

"That's not freaking fair."

"Hyahaha!" Kuramochi cackled. He pushed Ryosuke's lips off of his and winked. "That's what you get for making fun of me!"

Ryosuke flicked the former shortstop's head with his index finger, slid off of his lap and rushed towards the door. "I should kill you for leading me on like that. You know I don't like it when you do that." He opened the door and walked out.

"Ryo, come back! Don't leave! We could still make out or something!"

"Shut up!"

Kuramochi beamed in sheer happiness as he picked up the controller for his Xbox and resumed his game of Halo. _'Damn, that was too funny. I can't believe it. I love him so damn much… this must be a miracle. I'm so glad that he's going to be the person that'll push out our children and be the mother figure of our family. I can't imagine it being anyone else but him. Now then… how the heck am I going to take care of this erection?'_

* * *

 _The next day…_

Raichi observed his surroundings frantically as he walked out of a supermarket, clutching his groceries a little tighter than he intended to. _'I gotta get home quick,'_ he thought. _'If I stay out too long, there's no telling what would happen.'_

Everything around the former batter set him on edge. The faint rustling of the leaves, the indistinct chatter of people walking past him, the sound of the plastic bags brushing against his legs. Even the clack of his own footsteps made him jump.

"Hey!" a voice shouted behind him.

Shoulders hunched, Raichi kicked up his pace, resisting the urge to turn around. _'Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look!'_

"Excuse me!" the voice persisted.

 _'Don't do it, Raichi! Don't do it!'_ He was past the point of speed waking, feeling the gradual burn in his lower calves. He needed to get away from this person, this person that was calling out to him. What could they possibly want? What was so important that they had to take the time and focus on him? Why him of all people?

"Yo, you dropped a box of rice from your bag!"

Glancing at his bags from his peripheral, Raichi noticed that something was missing. _'This person doesn't sound so sketchy,'_ he deliberated. _'But they could be pulling a fast one on me… well… here goes nothing…'_

The man's lips curled as Raichi slowly turned to face him, eyelids lowering as he hinted fear in the latter's eyes. He extended his hand with the box of rice, smiling. "You dropped this," he said.

Bowing, Raichi swiftly snatched the box and stuffed it in his bag. "T-Thank you," he mumbled.

Just as he was about to turn around and head home, he screamed as a rough hand grabbed him by the waist and lifted him in the air, his items falling to the ground.

"W-What are you doing?! Let me down!"

The man smirked as Raichi futilely flailed about, taking out a napkin doused in chloroform. "I won't let you down. Why? Because I warned you. I _watched_ you, and now you're going to pay for stalling. Night night." He smothered Raichi's face with the napkin, dragging him to his van as Raichi's body went limp.

Binding Raichi's wrists behind his back with a thick cord, the man shoved him into the back of his van, slammed the door and marched to the passenger seat. "Start the engine," he said to his partner.

His partner laughed as he placed his foot on the pedal and drifted away. "Geez, Yamato, you didn't have to go _that_ far."

The man known as Yamato leaned his head against the window, scoffing. "I do whatever the hell I want. Now speed up, fam. We have a lil rat to torture."


End file.
